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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. march — the month
  5. lie — to recline
  6. ball — a dance
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. kick — in football
  9. ball — a great time
  10. sharp — clever
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. march — music
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. march — the month
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. coach — a trainer

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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