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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. kick — in football
  3. chip — to eat
  4. cap — of ice
  5. lean — to bend
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. toast — bread
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. foot — a measure
  16. pit — a hole
  17. cap — a hat
  18. pit — in a race
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. mine — for digging
  22. chip — for betting
  23. cap — a lid
  24. kick — with a leg

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