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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. hand — help
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. sharp — clever
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. hand — in cards
  13. plane — a tool
  14. chip — for betting
  15. chair — a leader
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. chip — to eat
  24. bowl — a dish

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