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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. spell — magic
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. kid — to tease
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. squash — to crush
  8. bound — certain
  9. pop — soda
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. pop — music
  12. pit — in a race
  13. dip — to sink
  14. pop — to visit
  15. squash — the sport
  16. pit — a hole
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. bound — obliged
  19. spell — letters
  20. bound — tied together
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. spell — a short time
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. kid — child

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