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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. can — to be able to
  6. deal — to handle
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. mark — a trace
  9. squash — the sport
  10. track — to keep track
  11. can — a tin
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. mark — a grade
  15. track — a path
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. squash — to crush
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. track — a song
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. can — a tin
  24. temple — a place of worship

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