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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. board — a committee
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. cue — a hint
  9. cue — for pool
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. cue — a signal
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. board — to get on
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. kick — in football

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