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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. capital — a city
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. mug — a cup
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. kick — in football
  7. suit — clothes
  8. capital — money
  9. mug — a face
  10. foot — a measure
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. suit — in cards
  14. mug — to rob
  15. mark — a grade
  16. mark — a trace
  17. kid — child
  18. face — to point toward
  19. suit — to fit
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. kid — to tease
  22. face — to confront
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. face — part of the head

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