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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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. foot — a measure
  4. kid — child
  5. last — finally
  6. last — to go on
  7. tube — a container
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. cold — not warm
  11. tube — the underground
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. kid — to tease
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. last — final
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. stand — to bear
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. cold — an illness

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