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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 120 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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. firm — decided
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. degree — temperature
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. scale — in music
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. firm — steady
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. degree — from a university
  23. degree — an amount
  24. firm — a company

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