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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. pit — a hole
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. last — to go on
  8. pit — in a race
  9. kick — in football
  10. spring — of water
  11. spring — a coil
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. last — finally
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. foot — a measure
  20. mine — for digging
  21. fork — in a road
  22. spring — the season
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. last — final

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