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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: rest · spell · lash · cabinet · straw · cell · last · arm

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. last — finally
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. rest — what's left
  7. rest — a break
  8. last — final
  9. rest — what's left
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. cell — in biology
  15. cell — a phone
  16. spell — a short time
  17. spell — letters
  18. last — to go on
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. spell — magic

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