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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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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: cell · squash · deal · calf · wave · prune · hand · arm

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. hand — in cards
  13. prune — to trim
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. prune — to trim
  17. cell — in biology
  18. hand — help
  19. cell — a phone
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. squash — to crush
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. squash — the sport
  24. deal — to handle

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