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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. spring — of water
  4. spring — a coil
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. file — a tool
  10. file — a line of people
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. spring — the season
  13. file — a document
  14. bound — certain
  15. foot — a measure
  16. bound — tied together
  17. bound — obliged
  18. lash — to lash out

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