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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 got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. chest — of your body
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. chest — a box
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. chest — of your body
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. hand — help
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. chip — for betting
  21. chip — to eat
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. calf — of the 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