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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. fine — all right
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. last — final
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. staff — employees
  8. board — to get on
  9. staff — employees
  10. last — finally
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. plane — a tool
  14. last — to go on
  15. fine — high quality
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. toast — bread
  20. staff — a stick
  21. board — a committee
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. kick — in football

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