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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 am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. rest — what's left
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. fork — in a road
  10. pop — soda
  11. roll — a list
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. roll — a cake
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. pop — music
  17. rest — what's left
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. pop — to visit
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. rest — a break

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