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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. firm — decided
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. dip — to sink
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. kick — in football
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. firm — steady
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. bat — the animal
  18. firm — a company
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. wax — to grow
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. lie — to recline

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