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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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468
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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. cap — a hat
  3. bass — the fish
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. fall — the season
  8. cap — of ice
  9. bass — low music
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. kick — in football
  12. lean — thin
  13. cap — a lid
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. lean — to bend
  16. stem — to come from
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. fall — to drop
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. toast — bread
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. fall — to drop

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