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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. swing — in golf
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. swing — to play on
  8. field — for sport
  9. snap — to click
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. field — a subject
  12. field — farmland
  13. foot — a measure
  14. kick — in football
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. swing — music
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. mate — a partner
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. mate — a friend
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. foot — part of the body

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