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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 hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. lie — to recline
  3. kick — in football
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. content — happy
  7. club — for golf
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. mate — a partner
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. club — a group
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. mate — to breed
  18. club — for dancing
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. rush — hurry
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. mate — a friend
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. content — the amount

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