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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 124 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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. last — to go on
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. snap — to click
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. firm — a company
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. chair — a leader
  15. dip — to sink
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. firm — decided
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. firm — steady
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. last — finally

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