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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.

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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.

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 · can · season · shower · game · present · hide · snap

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. season — in sport
  3. can — a tin
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. present — there
  6. season — of the year
  7. can — to be able to
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. shower — rain
  12. kick — in football
  13. snap — to click
  14. shower — to wash
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. present — the time now
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. can — a tin
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. game — a match
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. present — a gift
  24. game — wild animals

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