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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. tear — from crying
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. cell — a phone
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. lie — to recline
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. tear — to rip
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. tear — from crying
  23. cell — in biology
  24. calf — a young animal

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