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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: bay · arm · hand · jam · calf · wind · lie · chip

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. chip — for betting
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. hand — in cards
  15. wind — moving air
  16. hand — help
  17. chip — to eat
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. lie — to recline
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. wind — moving air

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