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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. cell — in biology
  3. foot — a measure
  4. cell — a phone
  5. squash — to crush
  6. march — the month
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. cue — for pool
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. march — the month
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. kick — in football
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. squash — the sport
  19. cue — a signal
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. march — music
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. kick — with a leg

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