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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 120 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 felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. chest — of your body
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. foot — a measure
  6. mark — a grade
  7. can — a tin
  8. mark — a trace
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. kick — in football
  14. chest — of your body
  15. can — to be able to
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. can — a tin
  18. chest — a box
  19. court — of law
  20. court — of a king
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. court — for sport

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