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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. mug — a face
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. mug — to rob
  6. spell — a short time
  7. spell — letters
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. club — for dancing
  10. club — a group
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. rash — a series
  15. bat — the animal
  16. club — for golf
  17. craft — boats
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. mug — a cup
  21. spell — magic
  22. rash — hasty
  23. chair — a leader
  24. arm — part of the body

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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