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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. clip — a video
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. kid — child
  8. mark — a grade
  9. bear — the animal
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. kid — to tease
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. rest — what's left
  15. kick — in football
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. bear — the animal
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. rest — a break
  21. rest — what's left
  22. foot — a measure
  23. mark — a trace
  24. clip — to cut

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