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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. bat — the animal
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. rock — a stone
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. mug — to rob
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. mug — a cup
  15. wake — a trail
  16. prune — to trim
  17. foot — a measure
  18. mug — a face
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. rock — music
  23. prune — to trim
  24. wake — before a funeral

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