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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. staff — a stick
  3. can — to be able to
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. staff — employees
  7. prune — to trim
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. can — a tin
  10. kid — to tease
  11. kid — child
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. prune — to trim
  17. bat — the animal
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. chair — a leader
  21. can — a tin
  22. plane — a tool
  23. staff — employees
  24. chair — a professorship

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