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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: foot · lash · stock · calf · roll · rest · cold · arm

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. roll — a list
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. rest — what's left
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. stock — goods
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. cold — an illness
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. rest — what's left
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. stock — shares
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. roll — a cake
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. rest — a break
  23. cold — not warm
  24. foot — part of the body

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