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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. kid — to tease
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. face — to confront
  14. face — to point toward
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. root — the cause
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. root — of a plant
  20. face — part of the head
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. kid — child
  23. root — of a word
  24. calf — of the leg

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