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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rash · bear · game · fine · cap · lean · snap · kick

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. fine — all right
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. bear — the animal
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. lean — to bend
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. bear — the animal
  11. rash — hasty
  12. cap — a lid
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. lean — thin
  15. snap — to click
  16. kick — in football
  17. rash — a series
  18. game — a match
  19. fine — high quality
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. cap — a hat
  23. game — wild animals
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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