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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. hand — in cards
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. rush — hurry
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. stock — shares
  10. lean — to bend
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. hand — help
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. stock — goods
  19. lean — thin
  20. kick — in football
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. kick — a thrill
  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