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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. tube — the underground
  3. kick — in football
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. chair — a leader
  6. content — the amount
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. scale — in music
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. tube — a container
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. dip — to sink
  17. content — happy
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. scale — size or range
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. content — videos and posts

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