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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. mug — a cup
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. bark — to shout
  6. dip — to sink
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. mug — to rob
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. wake — a trail
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. scale — size or range
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. scale — in music
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. fine — high quality
  23. fine — all right
  24. mug — a face

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