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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: swing · pitcher · stem · calf · cap · arm · rash · mouse

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  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. arm — a part of something
  2. swing — to play on
  3. rash — hasty
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. cap — of ice
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. cap — a hat
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. cap — a lid
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. swing — in golf
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. swing — music
  20. rash — a series
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. stem — to come from
  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