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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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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. rush — hurry
  3. ball — a dance
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. kick — in football
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. foot — a measure
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. mug — a cup
  18. ball — a great time
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. mug — a face
  22. row — to paddle
  23. row — a line
  24. arm — part of the body

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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