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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. lean — to bend
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. lean — thin
  6. tear — from crying
  7. bass — low music
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. shower — rain
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. foot — a measure
  13. rush — hurry
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. shower — to wash
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. bass — the fish
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. tear — to rip
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. tear — from crying

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