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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. chest — a box
  3. face — to point toward
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. swing — to play on
  10. swing — in golf
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. face — part of the head
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. tube — a container
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. chest — of your body
  19. tube — the underground
  20. swing — music
  21. face — to confront
  22. toast — bread
  23. rush — hurry
  24. chest — of your body

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