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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 · lash · content · stick · calf · game · present · file

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. content — the amount
  4. file — a document
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. game — wild animals
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. file — a line of people
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. content — happy
  14. present — the time now
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. game — a match
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. present — a gift
  22. present — there
  23. file — a tool
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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