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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.

Make a worksheet

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: bark · lash · arm · court · stand · mug · hand · mate

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. mate — a partner
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. hand — help
  6. mate — a friend
  7. bark — to shout
  8. mug — to rob
  9. court — of a king
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. stand — to bear
  14. court — of law
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. hand — in cards
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. mug — a cup
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. mug — a face
  23. court — for sport
  24. mate — to breed

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