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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. shower — to wash
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. pass — a permit
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. kick — in football
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. can — a tin
  19. can — a tin
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. stem — to come from
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. shower — rain
  24. can — to be able to

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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