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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. bulb — for light
  3. cap — a hat
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. bass — low music
  7. foot — a measure
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. pound — a weight
  12. cap — of ice
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. bass — the fish
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. bulb — for light
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. cap — a lid

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