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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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  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. tube — a container
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. foot — a measure
  5. mine — for digging
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. mate — to breed
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. tube — the underground
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. mate — a friend
  19. kick — in football
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. mate — a partner
  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