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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  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. arm — part of the body
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. file — a line of people
  4. craft — boats
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. lie — to recline
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. pop — to visit
  11. file — a document
  12. file — a tool
  13. game — wild animals
  14. pop — soda
  15. craft — a skill
  16. mark — a grade
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. game — a match
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. deal — to handle
  21. pop — music
  22. mark — a trace
  23. lie — an untruth
  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