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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. plane — a tool
  5. foot — a measure
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. branch — a division
  8. mug — a face
  9. mug — to rob
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. bore — to tire
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. squash — to crush
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. mug — a cup
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. bore — to drill
  23. squash — the sport
  24. plane — in geometry

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