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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. spell — magic
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. pop — to visit
  6. rule — a law
  7. drill — army training
  8. season — in sport
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. spell — a short time
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. rule — government
  13. drill — the tool
  14. pop — soda
  15. season — of the year
  16. drill — a practice
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. spell — letters
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. sharp — clever
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. pop — music
  24. season — to add flavour

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