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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've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. spring — a coil
  4. mug — a face
  5. mug — a cup
  6. spring — of water
  7. field — for sport
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. saw — the tool
  12. can — a tin
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. mug — to rob
  15. field — farmland
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. saw — the tool
  18. field — a subject
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. can — to be able to
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. spring — the season
  23. can — a tin
  24. kick — in football

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