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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: rest · dip · arm · mine · kick · chair · toast · calf

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. mine — for digging
  3. chair — a leader
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. toast — bread
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. rest — what's left
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. dip — to sink
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. rest — what's left
  18. kick — in football
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. arm — part of the body

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