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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. last — final
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. spell — a short time
  6. spell — letters
  7. bore — to tire
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. kick — in football
  12. last — to go on
  13. spell — magic
  14. current — of water
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. stand — to bear
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. current — happening now
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. last — finally
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. bore — to drill
  24. current — electric

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