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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. kick — in football
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. wax — to grow
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. foot — a measure
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. clip — a video
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. chip — for betting
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. clip — to cut
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. clip — for paper
  22. chip — to eat
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. wax — in the ear

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