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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. chest — of your body
  6. chest — a box
  7. shower — rain
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. rash — a series
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. shower — to wash
  14. rash — hasty
  15. wind — moving air
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. suit — clothes
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. suit — to fit
  20. wind — moving air
  21. suit — in cards
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. chest — of your body
  24. stand — to bear

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