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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. rock — a stone
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. mine — for digging
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. sharp — clever
  9. kick — in football
  10. rule — government
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. rule — a law
  15. root — of a plant
  16. root — the cause
  17. root — of a word
  18. rock — music
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. fine — high quality
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. fine — all right
  24. safe — a strongbox

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