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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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 — to lash out
  3. tear — from crying
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. hand — in cards
  6. foot — a measure
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. sharp — clever
  9. staff — a stick
  10. staff — employees
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. tear — from crying
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. stock — goods
  18. hand — help
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. stock — shares
  21. tear — to rip
  22. staff — employees
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. sharp — with an edge

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