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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. charge — in control
  4. charge — electricity
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. charge — a price
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. plane — a tool
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. wind — moving air
  21. wind — moving air
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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