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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. staff — a stick
  3. suit — to fit
  4. suit — clothes
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. suit — in cards
  7. staff — employees
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. dip — to sink
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. kick — in football
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. bat — the animal
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. staff — employees
  24. nail — on a finger

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