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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. row — to paddle
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. spell — letters
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. spell — a short time
  12. cell — in biology
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. kick — in football
  15. bat — the animal
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. row — a line
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. spell — magic
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. cell — a phone

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