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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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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: sharp · kick · hide · fork · bat · wound · foot · game

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. bat — the animal
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. fork — in a road
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. game — wild animals
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. kick — in football
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. sharp — clever
  13. wound — an injury
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. game — a match
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. wound — an injury
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. foot — a measure

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