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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. kid — to tease
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. hand — in cards
  9. sharp — clever
  10. hand — help
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. staff — employees
  14. wax — to grow
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. staff — a stick
  18. staff — employees
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. kid — child

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