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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: cell · scale · lie · chest · arm · calf · ruler · bound

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  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. arm — a part of something
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. bound — tied together
  4. bound — obliged
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. scale — in music
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. chest — of your body
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. chest — a box
  13. chest — of your body
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. cell — in biology
  17. scale — size or range
  18. bound — certain
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. cell — a phone
  22. lie — to recline
  23. lie — an untruth
  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