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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. bear — the animal
  3. drill — a practice
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. lean — thin
  6. present — a gift
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. bear — the animal
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. file — a document
  14. file — a line of people
  15. file — a tool
  16. drill — army training
  17. prune — to trim
  18. prune — to trim
  19. lean — to bend
  20. drill — the tool
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. present — there
  23. kick — in football
  24. present — the time now

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