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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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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. squash — the sport
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. chair — a leader
  8. squash — to crush
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. wound — an injury
  11. last — to go on
  12. wound — an injury
  13. last — final
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. cell — a phone
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. last — finally
  24. cell — in biology

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