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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: arm · bay · kick · calf · band · wake · row · foot

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. row — a line
  4. band — a ring
  5. row — to paddle
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. kick — in football
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. band — a music group
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. wake — a trail
  24. foot — a measure

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