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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. rest — what's left
  4. rest — what's left
  5. chest — a box
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. pit — in a race
  10. track — a song
  11. chest — of your body
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. kick — in football
  14. chest — of your body
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. staff — employees
  17. track — to keep track
  18. staff — a stick
  19. pit — a hole
  20. staff — employees
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. rest — a break

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