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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. game — a match
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. kick — in football
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. toast — bread
  9. cell — in biology
  10. cap — a hat
  11. cell — a phone
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. cap — of ice
  17. fork — in a road
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. cap — a lid
  23. game — wild animals
  24. fork — to eat with

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