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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. track — a path
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. spell — magic
  5. saw — the tool
  6. kick — in football
  7. mark — a trace
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. stand — to bear
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. spell — letters
  13. spell — a short time
  14. mark — a grade
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. track — to keep track
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. track — a song
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. saw — the tool
  24. leaves — of a tree

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