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

Word bank: tube · foot · kick · vault · prune · fine · bear · arm

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. fine — all right
  3. fine — high quality
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. prune — to trim
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. foot — a measure
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. prune — to trim
  13. bear — the animal
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. tube — the underground
  16. vault — a safe
  17. tube — a container
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. kick — in football
  24. tube — in a tire

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