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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. squash — to crush
  4. bulb — for light
  5. net — in sport
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. suit — to fit
  8. lean — to bend
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. craft — boats
  11. suit — clothes
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. net — for catching
  14. perch — the fish
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. suit — in cards
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. net — after costs
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. bulb — for light
  21. squash — the sport
  22. craft — a skill
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. perch — for a bird

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