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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. chest — of your body
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. lean — to bend
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. clip — a video
  7. charge — in control
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. pound — a weight
  10. foot — a measure
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. clip — to cut
  13. chest — a box
  14. lie — to recline
  15. clip — for paper
  16. charge — electricity
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. charge — a price
  20. chest — of your body
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lean — thin
  24. pound — to hit hard

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