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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 rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. file — a document
  7. file — a line of people
  8. fall — the season
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. fall — to drop
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. spring — a coil
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. fork — in a road
  20. fall — to drop
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. spring — of water
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. spring — the season

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