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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 120 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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. fine — high quality
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. hand — help
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. rock — a stone
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. clip — for paper
  10. clip — to cut
  11. charge — a price
  12. face — to confront
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. rock — music
  15. face — to point toward
  16. lean — to bend
  17. hand — in cards
  18. face — part of the head
  19. charge — in control
  20. lean — thin
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. fine — all right
  23. charge — electricity
  24. clip — a video

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