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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. present — there
  3. mate — a partner
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. present — a gift
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. season — of the year
  8. kick — in football
  9. club — a group
  10. club — for golf
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. club — for dancing
  13. mate — a friend
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. drill — army training
  16. season — in sport
  17. snap — to click
  18. drill — a practice
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. drill — the tool
  21. mate — to breed
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. present — the time now

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