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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 120 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: mark · pitcher · spring · calf · nail · face · bat · arm

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. spring — a coil
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. face — to point toward
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. spring — the season
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. spring — of water
  11. bat — the animal
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. mark — a trace
  15. face — part of the head
  16. mark — a grade
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. face — to confront
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. mark — to pay attention

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