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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: kick · rash · game · cabinet · leaves · march · lie · bear

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. rash — a series
  3. kick — in football
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. bear — the animal
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. rash — hasty
  9. march — the month
  10. game — wild animals
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. march — the month
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. march — music
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. bear — the animal
  22. game — a match
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. lie — to recline

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