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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 hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. roll — a cake
  7. mark — a grade
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. roll — a list
  12. mark — a trace
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. plane — a tool
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. bulb — for light
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. row — a line
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. row — to paddle

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