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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. season — in sport
  13. toast — bread
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. season — of the year
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. bat — the animal
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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