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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. rock — music
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. press — to push
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. present — a gift
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. press — a publisher
  15. present — the time now
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. hand — in cards
  18. present — there
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. press — newspapers
  21. rock — a stone
  22. kick — in football
  23. hand — help
  24. arm — part of the body

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