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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  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. mug — a face
  2. land — ground
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. track — a song
  5. kick — in football
  6. tear — to rip
  7. tear — from crying
  8. track — to keep track
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. track — a path
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. land — a country
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. land — to come down
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. mug — a cup
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. mug — to rob
  23. tear — from crying
  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