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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: dip · foot · lean · hide · rest · date · mark · kick

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. lean — to bend
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. rest — what's left
  8. foot — a measure
  9. lean — thin
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. mark — a grade
  12. mark — a trace
  13. rest — a break
  14. date — the fruit
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. rest — what's left
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. kick — in football
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. dip — to sink

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