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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. bound — tied together
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. chair — a leader
  8. foot — a measure
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. bound — certain
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. last — finally
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. tube — the underground
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. last — final
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. wake — a trail
  20. tube — a container
  21. last — to go on
  22. branch — a division
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  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