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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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 put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. foot — a measure
  4. spell — a short time
  5. wind — moving air
  6. wind — moving air
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. hand — help
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. chair — a leader
  14. hand — in cards
  15. present — there
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. present — the time now
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. spell — magic
  22. spell — letters
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. present — a gift

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