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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 120 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 words: he'll be late again.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. hand — help
  6. mark — a trace
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. rest — what's left
  10. rest — what's left
  11. cap — of ice
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. mark — a grade
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. hand — in cards
  17. cap — a hat
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. rest — a break
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. cap — a lid
  24. temple — a place of worship

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