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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: prune · lash · arm · rock · chip · pound · calf · cell

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. rock — music
  4. pound — a weight
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. prune — to trim
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. chip — to eat
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. prune — to trim
  16. cell — in biology
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. cell — a phone
  19. chip — for betting
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. rock — a stone
  24. lash — to lash out

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