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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. staff — a stick
  5. key — for a lock
  6. key — the most important part
  7. bear — the animal
  8. staff — employees
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. key — in music
  11. wake — a trail
  12. staff — employees
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. net — for catching
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. net — in sport
  18. net — after costs

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