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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 120 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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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: kick · pitcher · mate · cap · wave · mug · arm · face

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. face — to point toward
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. cap — a hat
  9. cap — of ice
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. mate — a friend
  14. mug — a cup
  15. mate — a partner
  16. mug — a face
  17. kick — in football
  18. mate — to breed
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. face — part of the head
  21. cap — a lid
  22. mug — to rob
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. face — to confront

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