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

Word bank: arm · chest · cell · calf · stick · scale · pass · temple

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. cell — a phone
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. chest — a box
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. chest — of your body
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. cell — in biology
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. scale — size or range
  20. pass — a permit
  21. scale — in music
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. chest — of your body
  24. arm — 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