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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's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. roll — a list
  3. mate — to breed
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. shower — rain
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. suit — in cards
  10. roll — a cake
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. mate — a friend
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. suit — to fit
  19. pit — in a race
  20. foot — a measure
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. pit — a hole
  23. mate — a partner
  24. suit — clothes

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