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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. cap — of ice
  4. swing — music
  5. swing — in golf
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. land — to come down
  10. spell — a short time
  11. swing — to play on
  12. cap — a lid
  13. land — ground
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. cap — a hat
  18. land — a country
  19. spell — magic
  20. wake — a trail
  21. spell — letters
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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