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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. kick — in football
  6. wind — moving air
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. spell — letters
  9. spell — magic
  10. tube — the underground
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. wind — moving air
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. board — to get on
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. spell — a short time
  19. snap — to click
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. board — a committee
  22. tube — a container
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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