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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. drill — army training
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. spell — magic
  7. toast — bread
  8. spell — letters
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. drill — the tool
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. foot — a measure
  16. rash — a series
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. rash — hasty
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. spell — a short time
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. drill — a practice

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