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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  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. calf — of the leg
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. cell — in biology
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. hand — help
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. hand — in cards
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. drill — the tool
  15. court — of a king
  16. foot — a measure
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. drill — army training
  19. cell — a phone
  20. court — of law
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. court — for sport
  23. drill — a practice
  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