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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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468
Word bank
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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  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. arm — part of the body
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. content — happy
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. dip — to sink
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. content — the amount
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. foot — a measure
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. kick — in football
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. content — videos and posts
  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