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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. bound — certain
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. fine — high quality
  5. last — finally
  6. last — to go on
  7. cold — an illness
  8. fine — all right
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. mug — a cup
  13. mug — to rob
  14. cold — not warm
  15. bound — tied together
  16. bound — obliged
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. foot — a measure
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. deal — to handle
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. mug — a face
  24. last — final

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