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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 father caught me by the ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. chest — a box
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. chest — of your body
  7. chest — of your body
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. saw — the tool
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. saw — the tool
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. racket — for tennis

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