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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. saw — the tool
  5. mug — a face
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. band — a music group
  9. shower — rain
  10. saw — the tool
  11. mug — to rob
  12. rush — hurry
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. pound — a weight
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. kick — in football
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. band — a ring
  23. mug — a cup
  24. shower — to wash

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