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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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. object — an aim
  4. content — happy
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. key — for a lock
  7. key — in music
  8. object — a thing
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. hand — help
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. key — the most important part
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. hand — in cards
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. object — to protest
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. content — the amount
  24. lie — to recline

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