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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: hand · pitcher · kick · chest · bowl · fall · fine · mark

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. mark — a grade
  4. fall — to drop
  5. fall — the season
  6. fine — all right
  7. chest — of your body
  8. fall — to drop
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. chest — of your body
  11. mark — a trace
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. hand — help
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. kick — in football
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. hand — in cards
  24. fine — high quality

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