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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: snap · arm · march · nail · cell · calf · face · lean

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. cell — in biology
  5. march — the month
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. face — to confront
  9. cell — a phone
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. snap — to click
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. lean — to bend
  16. face — part of the head
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. march — music
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. march — the month
  22. face — to point toward
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. lean — thin

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