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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 116 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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. face — to point toward
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. present — there
  6. kick — in football
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. face — to confront
  10. bear — the animal
  11. band — a ring
  12. face — part of the head
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. bear — the animal
  16. staff — a stick
  17. present — a gift
  18. staff — employees
  19. present — the time now
  20. band — a music group
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. staff — employees
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. pitcher — a jug

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