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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 have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. wound — an injury
  3. stock — shares
  4. foot — a measure
  5. wound — an injury
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. clip — for paper
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. ground — crushed
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. kick — in football
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. stock — goods
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. ground — a position
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. ground — the earth
  23. clip — a video
  24. clip — to cut

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