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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. root — of a plant
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. kick — in football
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. root — of a word
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. can — a tin
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. root — the cause
  14. can — a tin
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. foot — a measure
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mine — for digging
  24. can — to be able to

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