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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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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: fall · kick · firm · shower · wound · pit · suit · sharp

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. suit — to fit
  5. kick — in football
  6. sharp — clever
  7. shower — rain
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. fall — to drop
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. wound — an injury
  13. firm — decided
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. shower — to wash
  16. pit — a hole
  17. wound — an injury
  18. suit — clothes
  19. pit — in a race
  20. firm — steady
  21. suit — in cards
  22. fall — the season
  23. firm — a company
  24. fall — to drop

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