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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. rock — music
  5. bass — the fish
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. craft — boats
  8. craft — a skill
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. spell — letters
  12. chest — of your body
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. chest — a box
  16. rock — a stone
  17. spell — magic
  18. prune — to trim
  19. bass — low music
  20. spell — a short time
  21. chest — of your body
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. kick — in football
  24. prune — to trim

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