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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: kid · kick · arm · object · lie · key · bat · rash

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. key — in music
  3. rash — a series
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. object — an aim
  6. kick — in football
  7. key — for a lock
  8. object — to protest
  9. kid — to tease
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. kid — child
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. bat — the animal
  18. object — a thing
  19. lie — to recline
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. key — the most important part
  24. rash — on the skin

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