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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. rest — what's left
  4. spell — a short time
  5. saw — the tool
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. mate — a partner
  12. saw — the tool
  13. rest — a break
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. spell — magic
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. spell — letters
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. mate — a friend
  23. mate — to breed
  24. rest — what's left

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