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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. present — a gift
  4. suit — clothes
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. bark — to shout
  10. present — the time now
  11. capital — a city
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. suit — in cards
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. suit — to fit
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. row — to paddle
  18. capital — money
  19. row — a line
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. bulb — for light
  22. present — there
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. row — a quarrel

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