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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. kick — in football
  3. mark — a grade
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. tear — to rip
  7. face — part of the head
  8. tear — from crying
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. land — to come down
  12. roll — a cake
  13. bear — the animal
  14. land — ground
  15. tear — from crying
  16. face — to confront
  17. bear — the animal
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. mark — a trace
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. roll — a list
  22. face — to point toward
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. land — a country

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