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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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  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 — with a leg
  2. net — after costs
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. present — a gift
  10. net — in sport
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. band — a ring
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. kick — in football
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. net — for catching
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. scale — in music
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. scale — size or range
  22. present — there
  23. band — a music group
  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