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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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. spring — of water
  3. cue — a signal
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. craft — a skill
  6. rest — a break
  7. deal — to handle
  8. track — to keep track
  9. track — a path
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. cue — for pool
  12. track — a song
  13. spring — a coil
  14. rest — what's left
  15. kick — in football
  16. rest — what's left
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. cue — a hint
  22. craft — boats
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. spring — the season

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