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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. lean — to bend
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. suit — clothes
  5. cap — a hat
  6. wound — an injury
  7. chest — a box
  8. chest — of your body
  9. wound — an injury
  10. cap — a lid
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. suit — to fit
  13. kid — to tease
  14. chest — of your body
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. cap — of ice
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. kid — child
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. lean — thin
  24. suit — in cards

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