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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. season — in sport
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. row — to paddle
  9. firm — a company
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. mark — a grade
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. plane — a tool
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. kick — in football
  19. row — a line
  20. firm — decided
  21. mark — a trace
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. season — of the year
  24. firm — steady

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