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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. season — in sport
  3. drill — army training
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. season — of the year
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. drill — a practice
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. rule — government
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. rule — a law
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. drill — the tool
  24. nail — on a finger

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