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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. chair — a leader
  3. spell — a short time
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. sharp — clever
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. staff — a stick
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. chest — of your body
  11. ball — a great time
  12. can — a tin
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. can — to be able to
  15. spell — magic
  16. staff — employees
  17. ball — a dance
  18. staff — employees
  19. chest — a box
  20. chest — of your body
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. spell — letters
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. can — a tin

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