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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. drill — a practice
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. lie — to recline
  6. root — of a word
  7. drill — the tool
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. root — of a plant
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. row — a line
  13. row — to paddle
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. drill — army training
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. root — the cause
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. cell — a phone
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. arm — part of the body

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