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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. staff — a stick
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. ground — a position
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. ground — the earth
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. snap — to click
  13. staff — employees
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. staff — employees
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. ground — crushed
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. branch — a division
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. temple — a place of worship

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