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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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468
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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. rush — hurry
  3. pit — in a race
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. kid — to tease
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. key — the most important part
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. key — in music
  11. kid — child
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. kick — in football
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. pit — a hole
  23. key — for a lock
  24. rush — to hurry

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