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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. pop — music
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. foot — a measure
  7. date — the fruit
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. present — there
  10. present — the time now
  11. pop — soda
  12. pop — to visit
  13. present — a gift
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. kick — in football
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. rock — a stone
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. rock — music

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