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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. stock — shares
  5. shower — rain
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. mate — a friend
  8. mate — a partner
  9. drill — the tool
  10. pop — music
  11. shower — to wash
  12. club — a group
  13. drill — a practice
  14. kick — in football
  15. club — for golf
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. stock — goods
  19. club — for dancing
  20. mate — to breed
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. pop — to visit
  23. drill — army training
  24. pop — soda

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