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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. kick — in football
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. wound — an injury
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. foot — a measure
  12. stand — to bear
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. row — to paddle
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. wound — an injury
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. lie — to recline

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