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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. tear — to rip
  3. can — to be able to
  4. ground — a position
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. kick — in football
  17. tear — from crying
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. tear — from crying
  21. can — a tin
  22. ground — crushed
  23. can — a tin
  24. ground — the earth

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