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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: trunk · fine · face · kick · key · arm · patient · rest

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. rest — what's left
  5. key — in music
  6. fine — all right
  7. face — part of the head
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. face — to point toward
  11. key — for a lock
  12. rest — a break
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. face — to confront
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. kick — in football
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. rest — what's left
  21. key — the most important part
  22. fine — high quality
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. fine — a penalty

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