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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. ground — a position
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. tube — a container
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. bulb — for light
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. hand — help
  13. ground — crushed
  14. bulb — for light
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. chest — a box
  18. ground — the earth
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. chest — of your body
  22. tube — the underground
  23. chest — of your body
  24. calf — a young animal

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