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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. ball — a great time
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. staff — employees
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. staff — a stick
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. staff — employees
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. stand — to bear
  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