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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: bat · rule · hide · date · kick · key · wave · sharp

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. rule — government
  11. rule — a law
  12. date — the fruit
  13. key — in music
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. key — the most important part
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. kick — in football
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. bat — the animal
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. sharp — clever
  23. key — for a lock
  24. wave — of the sea

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