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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. object — a thing
  4. dip — to sink
  5. can — a tin
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. object — to protest
  8. club — for golf
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. object — an aim
  11. kick — in football
  12. last — to go on
  13. can — to be able to
  14. club — for dancing
  15. last — finally
  16. roll — a list
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. roll — a cake
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. club — a group
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. can — a tin
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. last — final

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