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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. rule — a law
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. rule — government
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. saw — the tool
  16. cell — in biology
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. saw — the tool
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. cell — a phone
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. rush — hurry

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