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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 120 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 got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. mate — a friend
  4. rest — a break
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. rest — what's left
  7. rest — what's left
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. foot — a measure
  10. kid — to tease
  11. club — a group
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. row — to paddle
  14. club — for dancing
  15. mate — a partner
  16. row — a line
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. mate — to breed
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. hand — help
  21. club — for golf
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. kid — child
  24. arm — part of the body

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