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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'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. content — happy
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. fine — high quality
  5. date — the fruit
  6. kick — in football
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. mug — to rob
  9. content — the amount
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. mug — a face
  15. fine — all right
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. mug — a cup
  22. bulb — for light
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. bulb — for light

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