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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. spring — the season
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. kick — in football
  6. swing — in golf
  7. swing — music
  8. root — of a plant
  9. bound — certain
  10. spring — a coil
  11. cue — for pool
  12. perch — the fish
  13. swing — to play on
  14. root — of a word
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. cue — a signal
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. spring — of water
  19. bound — obliged
  20. cue — a hint
  21. bound — tied together
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. root — the cause

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