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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. chest — of your body
  4. staff — employees
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. cap — a hat
  7. cap — of ice
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. staff — employees
  14. staff — a stick
  15. rush — hurry
  16. cap — a lid
  17. chest — a box
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. foot — a measure
  22. lie — to recline
  23. chest — of your body
  24. racket — a loud noise

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