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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.

Make a worksheet

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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. season — of the year
  4. game — wild animals
  5. can — a tin
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. season — in sport
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. shower — rain
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. can — a tin
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. foot — a measure
  17. shower — to wash
  18. game — a match
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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