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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 120 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 ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. bat — the animal
  3. firm — decided
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. ground — a position
  8. ground — the earth
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. suit — to fit
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. kick — in football
  13. firm — steady
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. suit — clothes
  16. ground — crushed
  17. firm — a company
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. row — to paddle
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. suit — in cards
  23. row — a line
  24. wave — of the sea

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