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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. object — an aim
  3. rock — music
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. rest — what's left
  6. rest — a break
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. kick — in football
  10. bat — the animal
  11. rest — what's left
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. field — farmland
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. field — a subject
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. object — to protest
  22. field — for sport
  23. object — a thing
  24. rock — a stone

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