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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. stock — shares
  3. bear — the animal
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. key — in music
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. saw — the tool
  10. stock — goods
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. key — for a lock
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. kick — in football
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. saw — the tool
  18. key — the most important part
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. season — of the year
  21. season — in sport
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. bear — the animal

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