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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. rash — hasty
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. firm — decided
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. firm — steady
  15. rash — a series
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. firm — a company
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. kick — in football
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. fork — in a road
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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