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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 120 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 ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. chair — a leader
  4. kick — in football
  5. club — for golf
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. dip — to sink
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. club — a group
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. club — for dancing
  12. stock — shares
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. stock — goods
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. lean — to bend
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. lean — thin
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. calf — of the leg

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