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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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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. row — to paddle
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. ball — a great time
  6. rule — a law
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. ball — a dance
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. kick — in football
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. cell — a phone
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. row — a line
  20. tube — a container
  21. cell — in biology
  22. rule — government
  23. season — in sport
  24. tube — the underground

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