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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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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: pit · mug · wake · drill · wind · pass · kick · cell

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. drill — the tool
  4. pass — a permit
  5. wind — moving air
  6. cell — a phone
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. pit — a hole
  10. drill — a practice
  11. drill — army training
  12. kick — in football
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. cell — in biology
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. mug — a cup
  18. wake — a trail
  19. wind — moving air
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. mug — to rob
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. pit — in a race
  24. mug — a face

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