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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. rush — hurry
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. game — wild animals
  10. snap — to click
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. cap — a hat
  19. game — a match
  20. cap — of ice
  21. cap — a lid
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. kick — in football
  24. kick — a thrill

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