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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. snap — to click
  4. cap — of ice
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. present — there
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. present — the time now
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. content — the amount
  12. land — to come down
  13. present — a gift
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. cap — a hat
  18. cap — a lid
  19. content — happy
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. land — a country
  23. land — ground
  24. temple — side of the head

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