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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. capital — a city
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. chest — of your body
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. pop — to visit
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. capital — money
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. bore — to tire
  17. chest — a box
  18. pop — soda
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. bore — to drill
  21. chest — of your body
  22. pop — music
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. stand — to bear

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