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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. rest — a break
  5. net — after costs
  6. mate — a friend
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. kick — in football
  11. deal — to handle
  12. perch — the fish
  13. mate — to breed
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. net — for catching
  17. net — in sport
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. mate — a partner
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. rest — what's left
  24. perch — for a bird

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