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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. fall — the season
  7. fine — high quality
  8. prune — to trim
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. fine — all right
  13. prune — to trim
  14. fall — to drop
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. fall — to drop
  20. cell — in biology
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. cell — a phone
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. cabinet — ministers

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