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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.

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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. stock — shares
  4. stock — goods
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. kid — to tease
  7. kick — in football
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. race — the arms race
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. race — a contest
  20. race — humankind
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. kid — child
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. fan — to cool the air

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