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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.

Make a worksheet

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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. snap — to click
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. mark — a grade
  12. mark — a trace
  13. bound — certain
  14. bound — tied together
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. bound — obliged
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. kick — in football

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