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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: last · chair · lash · stand · deal · capital · arm · calf

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. last — finally
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. last — to go on
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. capital — a city
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. chair — a leader
  16. deal — to handle
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. stand — to bear
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. last — final
  21. capital — money
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. chair — a professorship

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