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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 120 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 little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. bear — the animal
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. kick — in football
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. wind — moving air
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. season — of the year
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. wind — moving air
  13. bear — the animal
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. ball — a dance
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. ball — a great time
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. season — in sport
  24. kick — with a leg

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