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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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 — with a leg
  3. firm — steady
  4. cue — a hint
  5. object — to protest
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. kick — in football
  10. object — an aim
  11. cue — a signal
  12. bat — the animal
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. firm — a company
  15. band — a ring
  16. stem — to come from
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. band — a music group
  19. object — a thing
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. firm — decided
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. cue — for pool

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