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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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. cold — not warm
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. chest — of your body
  11. chest — a box
  12. season — in sport
  13. bear — the animal
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. bear — the animal
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. cold — an illness
  19. deal — to handle
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. season — of the year

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