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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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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. rock — music
  5. rock — a stone
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. squash — to crush
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. lie — to recline
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. chest — of your body
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. stand — to bear
  17. foot — a measure
  18. chest — a box
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. kick — in football
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. chest — of your body
  24. squash — the sport

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