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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. kick — in football
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. mate — a friend
  5. court — for sport
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. mate — to breed
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. rush — hurry
  11. bear — the animal
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. court — of law
  14. court — of a king
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. foot — a measure
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. mate — a partner
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bear — to put up with

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