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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. firm — steady
  5. staff — employees
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. net — in sport
  8. net — after costs
  9. net — for catching
  10. kick — in football
  11. land — a country
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. staff — a stick
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. firm — a company
  16. land — ground
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. staff — employees
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. land — to come down
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. wake — a trail

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