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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. 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 — a thrill
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. dip — to sink
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. bat — the animal
  18. current — happening now
  19. current — electric
  20. current — of water
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. 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