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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: tear · leaves · arm · cell · calf · foot · game · ground

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. tear — from crying
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. cell — a phone
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. tear — from crying
  12. game — a match
  13. ground — the earth
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. ground — a position
  16. ground — crushed
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. foot — a measure
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. tear — to rip
  24. game — wild animals

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