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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. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. roll — a cake
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. chest — of your body
  9. date — the fruit
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. tube — a container
  12. can — a tin
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. kick — in football
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. chest — of your body
  20. chest — a box
  21. can — to be able to
  22. foot — a measure
  23. can — a tin
  24. tube — the underground

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