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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. saw — the tool
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. pitch — completely
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. capital — a city
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. pop — soda
  12. fine — high quality
  13. capital — money
  14. lie — to recline
  15. hand — help
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. pop — to visit
  18. pop — music
  19. hand — in cards
  20. saw — the tool
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. fine — all right

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