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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. roll — a list
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. mark — a trace
  6. hand — help
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. hand — in cards
  10. march — the month
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. march — the month
  14. roll — a cake
  15. kick — in football
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. march — music
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. foot — a measure
  24. mark — a grade

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