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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. dip — to sink
  4. rash — hasty
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. fork — in a road
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. rest — what's left
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. row — to paddle
  14. spell — letters
  15. rash — a series
  16. spell — magic
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. rest — what's left
  23. spell — a short time
  24. rest — a break

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