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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: lash · can · arm · fan · kick · kid · band · chair

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. can — a tin
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. can — a tin
  12. can — to be able to
  13. band — a ring
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. band — a music group
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. kick — in football
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. chair — a leader
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. kid — to tease

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