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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · bay · season · rash · mine · cue · lean · calf

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. cue — for pool
  6. season — of the year
  7. season — in sport
  8. rash — hasty
  9. cue — a hint
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. lean — to bend
  13. mine — for digging
  14. rash — a series
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. cue — a signal
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. lean — thin
  24. mine — belonging to me

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