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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. mark — a grade
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. club — for dancing
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. mark — a trace
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. kick — in football
  13. bore — to drill
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. foot — a measure
  17. bore — to tire
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. lie — to recline
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. club — a group
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. club — for golf
  24. mark — to pay attention

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