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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. spring — of water
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. kick — in football
  6. race — humankind
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. cap — of ice
  9. spring — a coil
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. race — the arms race
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. file — a line of people
  14. suit — in cards
  15. race — a contest
  16. suit — to fit
  17. spring — the season
  18. suit — clothes
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. cap — a hat
  21. cap — a lid
  22. file — a tool
  23. file — a document
  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