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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 116 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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  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. mine — an explosive
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. drill — army training
  7. drill — the tool
  8. spring — a coil
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. pitch — completely
  11. spring — of water
  12. craft — boats
  13. craft — a skill
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. drill — a practice
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. mine — for digging
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. spring — the season
  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