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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: key · arm · kick · toast · clip · race · rock · foot

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. clip — for paper
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. key — in music
  9. rock — music
  10. kick — in football
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. key — for a lock
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. race — humankind
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. rock — a stone
  17. clip — to cut
  18. race — the arms race
  19. key — the most important part
  20. race — a contest
  21. toast — bread
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. foot — a measure

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