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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. ground — crushed
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. last — final
  9. mug — to rob
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. pit — in a race
  12. ground — a position
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. ground — the earth
  15. mug — a cup
  16. pit — a hole
  17. kick — in football
  18. last — to go on
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. mark — a trace
  22. mug — a face
  23. last — finally
  24. mark — a grade

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