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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. pop — to visit
  5. cap — a lid
  6. drill — a practice
  7. can — a tin
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. can — a tin
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. pop — soda
  13. cap — of ice
  14. drill — the tool
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. tube — the underground
  17. toast — bread
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. tube — a container
  20. rush — hurry
  21. can — to be able to
  22. drill — army training
  23. cap — a hat
  24. pop — music

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com