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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. foot — a measure
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. kick — in football
  6. saw — the tool
  7. net — for catching
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. dip — to sink
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. rash — hasty
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. charge — in control
  16. net — after costs
  17. net — in sport
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. rash — a series
  21. saw — the tool
  22. charge — a price
  23. charge — electricity
  24. foot — part of the body

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