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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. bear — the animal
  5. club — a group
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. object — to protest
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. object — an aim
  11. club — for dancing
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. foot — a measure
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. club — for golf
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. chair — a leader
  22. object — a thing
  23. bear — the animal
  24. arm — a part of something

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