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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. rock — a stone
  3. spring — the season
  4. content — happy
  5. bound — certain
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. spring — a coil
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. saw — the tool
  11. bound — tied together
  12. stand — to bear
  13. ball — a dance
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. spring — of water
  17. ball — a great time
  18. rock — music
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. content — the amount
  23. saw — the tool
  24. bound — obliged

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