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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
468
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: pass · bay · kid · ground · calf · rush · arm · sharp

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. pass — a permit
  7. sharp — clever
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. kid — to tease
  11. ground — the earth
  12. kid — child
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. ground — a position
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. rush — hurry
  22. ground — crushed
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. sharp — exactly

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