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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.

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: dip · pop · perch · charge · chest · arm · sharp · kick

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. charge — electricity
  6. charge — a price
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. sharp — clever
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. chest — a box
  13. pop — to visit
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. dip — to sink
  16. chest — of your body
  17. charge — in control
  18. chest — of your body
  19. kick — in football
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. perch — the fish
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. pop — music
  24. dip — a sauce

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