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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. content — happy
  3. content — the amount
  4. fine — all right
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. suit — clothes
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. row — a line
  14. kick — in football
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. fine — high quality
  19. foot — a measure
  20. row — to paddle
  21. stand — to bear
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. suit — to fit

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