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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'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. cell — in biology
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. land — to come down
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. land — a country
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. prune — to trim
  11. cell — a phone
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. face — to point toward
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. face — to confront
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. prune — to trim
  19. face — part of the head
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. land — ground
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. cell — in a prison

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