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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 sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. capital — money
  6. capital — a city
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. mark — a trace
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. foot — a measure
  11. shower — rain
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. hand — help
  14. mark — a grade
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. kick — in football
  19. hand — in cards
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. shower — to wash

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