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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'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. kick — in football
  3. court — for sport
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. stem — to come from
  8. hand — in cards
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. court — of law
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. hand — help
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. court — of a king
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. vault — a safe

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