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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. present — there
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. mark — a grade
  6. craft — boats
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. foot — a measure
  10. mark — a trace
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. court — for sport
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. row — to paddle
  15. craft — a skill
  16. present — a gift
  17. court — of a king
  18. court — of law
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. present — the time now
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. row — a line

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