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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. last — finally
  3. kick — in football
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. last — to go on
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. pit — a hole
  11. dip — to sink
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. ball — a dance
  14. pit — in a race
  15. ball — a great time
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. foot — a measure
  18. last — final
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. toast — bread

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