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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. fine — all right
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. rock — a stone
  8. sharp — clever
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. spring — a coil
  13. spring — of water
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. fine — high quality
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. spring — the season
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. stem — to come from
  24. rock — music

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