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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 120 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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. net — in sport
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. net — for catching
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. kick — in football
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. club — a group
  15. club — for dancing
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. object — to protest
  18. club — for golf
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. stand — to bear
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. object — a thing
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. object — an aim

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