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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: date · can · fine · chest · kick · chair · net · arm

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. date — the fruit
  5. fine — high quality
  6. net — for catching
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. can — a tin
  9. can — a tin
  10. kick — in football
  11. net — in sport
  12. chest — of your body
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. chest — of your body
  15. chair — a leader
  16. chest — a box
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. fine — all right
  20. net — after costs
  21. can — to be able to
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. kick — with a leg

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