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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. court — of law
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. bank — for money
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. court — of a king
  8. last — final
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. kid — child
  11. tube — a container
  12. tube — the underground
  13. bank — of a river
  14. last — finally
  15. bank — for money
  16. craft — a skill
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. court — for sport
  19. craft — boats
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. kid — to tease
  23. kick — in football
  24. last — to go on

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