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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: foot · arm · squash · lash · kid · present · can · lean

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. present — there
  5. foot — a measure
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. squash — to crush
  8. can — a tin
  9. lean — thin
  10. present — a gift
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. can — to be able to
  14. can — a tin
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. lean — to bend
  17. squash — the sport
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. kid — child
  20. kid — to tease
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. squash — the vegetable

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