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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. squash — the sport
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. sharp — clever
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. branch — a division
  16. fork — in a road
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. squash — to crush

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