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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. mark — a trace
  3. rash — hasty
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. rest — what's left
  6. rest — a break
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. rest — what's left
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. rash — a series
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. branch — a division
  19. foot — a measure
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. mark — a grade
  24. nail — for a hammer

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