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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. rush — hurry
  3. bound — tied together
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. net — in sport
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bound — obliged
  14. net — after costs
  15. squash — to crush
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. bound — certain
  20. squash — the sport
  21. kick — in football
  22. sharp — clever
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. net — for catching

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