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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. kick — in football
  3. hand — in cards
  4. rest — what's left
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. rest — what's left
  12. track — to keep track
  13. track — a song
  14. bore — to tire
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. rest — a break
  19. bore — to drill
  20. hand — help
  21. sharp — clever
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. track — a path
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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