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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. bat — the animal
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. rule — a law
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. kick — in football
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. stand — to bear
  14. march — music
  15. rock — a stone
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. march — the month
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. rock — music
  20. rule — government
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. march — the month

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