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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.

Make a worksheet

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: arm · kick · calf · fine · wax · chest · land · squash

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. fine — all right
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. land — a country
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. land — to come down
  12. fine — high quality
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. kick — in football
  17. chest — of your body
  18. land — ground
  19. squash — to crush
  20. wax — to grow
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. chest — a box
  24. chest — of your 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