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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.

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: pop · mate · kick · present · rock · rash · game · hide

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. pop — to visit
  3. present — there
  4. rock — a stone
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. mate — to breed
  7. mate — a friend
  8. game — a match
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. pop — music
  12. rash — hasty
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. game — wild animals
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. rash — a series
  19. kick — in football
  20. rock — music
  21. pop — soda
  22. present — the time now
  23. mate — a partner
  24. present — a gift

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