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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. fine — all right
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. key — in music
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. key — for a lock
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. key — the most important part
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. stand — to bear
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. wax — to grow
  19. fine — high quality
  20. dip — to sink
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. kick — in football

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