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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. race — humankind
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. race — the arms race
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. firm — decided
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. firm — steady
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. rash — hasty
  17. rash — a series
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. race — a contest
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. firm — a company
  24. cabinet — ministers

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