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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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. tear — from crying
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. tear — to rip
  7. kick — in football
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. chest — a box
  11. chest — of your body
  12. tear — from crying
  13. staff — employees
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. chest — of your body
  16. plane — a tool
  17. staff — employees
  18. staff — a stick
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. chair — a leader
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. arm — 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