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

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. rule — government
  4. swing — in golf
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. cell — a phone
  8. swing — music
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. tube — the underground
  11. cell — in biology
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. key — the most important part
  17. rule — a law
  18. swing — to play on
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. key — for a lock
  22. tube — a container
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. key — in music

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