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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: fine · arm · kick · rock · mark · season · cap · roll

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. roll — a cake
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. mark — a grade
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. season — of the year
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. kick — in football
  10. mark — a trace
  11. cap — a lid
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. cap — a hat
  15. cap — of ice
  16. fine — high quality
  17. rock — a stone
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. fine — all right
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. roll — a list
  22. season — in sport
  23. rock — music
  24. arm — a part of something

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