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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. bound — tied together
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. game — a match
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. game — wild animals
  9. fine — all right
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. mark — a grade
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. bound — certain
  16. fine — high quality
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. wake — a trail
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. wax — to grow
  22. bound — obliged
  23. mark — a trace
  24. kick — with a leg

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