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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. root — the cause
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. ball — a dance
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. stand — to bear
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. root — of a plant
  14. root — of a word
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. ball — a great time
  17. present — a gift
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. hand — help
  21. present — the time now
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. hand — in cards
  24. wake — a trail

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