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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: foot · last · kick · firm · row · dip

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. last — final
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. row — a line
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. last — to go on
  8. last — finally
  9. foot — a measure
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. row — to paddle
  13. firm — a company
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. firm — steady
  16. kick — in football
  17. dip — to sink
  18. kick — a thrill

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