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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. mate — a partner
  5. cue — a hint
  6. kick — in football
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. sharp — clever
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. mate — to breed
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. perch — the fish
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. hand — in cards
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. mate — a friend
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. cue — for pool
  23. hand — help
  24. cue — a signal

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