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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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468
Word bank
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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. foot — a measure
  3. tube — a container
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. dip — to sink
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. pit — a hole
  10. tear — to rip
  11. tear — from crying
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. kick — in football
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. bat — the animal
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. pit — in a race
  20. tear — from crying
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. tube — the underground
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. foot — the bottom

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