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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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. tear — from crying
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. foot — a measure
  7. track — a song
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bulb — for light
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. scale — size or range
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. track — a path
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. track — to keep track
  18. sharp — clever
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. tear — to rip
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. scale — in music
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. tear — from crying

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