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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. row — to paddle
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. mine — for digging
  7. band — a music group
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. bound — tied together
  10. net — for catching
  11. plane — a tool
  12. bound — certain
  13. suit — in cards
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. suit — to fit
  16. bound — obliged
  17. band — a ring
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. net — in sport
  20. row — a line
  21. kick — in football
  22. net — after costs
  23. suit — clothes
  24. mine — an explosive

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