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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. scale — in music
  4. pit — a hole
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. lie — to recline
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. kick — in football
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. pit — in a race
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. rule — government
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. wake — a trail
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. rule — a law
  20. season — in sport
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. season — of the year
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. cabinet — ministers

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