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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: arm · last · bat · lean · fork · calf · stem · cabinet

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. last — final
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. fork — in a road
  12. last — to go on
  13. lean — to bend
  14. stem — to come from
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. last — finally
  18. bat — the animal
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. lean — thin
  24. calf — a young animal

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