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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. wake — a trail
  4. key — for a lock
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. lean — thin
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. face — to point toward
  10. key — in music
  11. tube — the underground
  12. kick — in football
  13. lean — to bend
  14. can — a tin
  15. face — part of the head
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. can — to be able to
  18. key — the most important part
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. can — a tin
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. face — to confront
  24. tube — a container

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