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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. object — to protest
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. object — an aim
  8. can — a tin
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. object — a thing
  12. saw — the tool
  13. prune — to trim
  14. prune — to trim
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. foot — a measure
  22. can — a tin
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. can — to be able to

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