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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 120 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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. mug — a face
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. bound — tied together
  5. spring — the season
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. bound — certain
  8. bulb — for light
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. pit — a hole
  12. pit — in a race
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. spring — a coil
  16. bound — obliged
  17. mug — a cup
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. chair — a leader
  20. mug — to rob
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. bulb — for light
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. spring — of water

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