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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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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: drill · club · lean · patient · arm · ball · calf · lash

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. drill — a practice
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. club — a group
  7. club — for golf
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. club — for dancing
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. drill — army training
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. lean — thin
  16. ball — a dance
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. lean — to bend
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. drill — the tool

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