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

Word bank: pit · lean · face · lie · arm · chair · calf · lash

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. lean — thin
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. pit — in a race
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. lie — to recline
  10. face — to point toward
  11. pit — a hole
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. face — to confront
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. lean — to bend
  22. face — part of the head
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. chair — a leader

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