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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 hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. firm — steady
  3. wind — moving air
  4. hand — in cards
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. present — the time now
  7. rule — government
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. present — there
  12. firm — a company
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. rule — a law
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. foot — a measure
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. mark — a grade
  19. hand — help
  20. wind — moving air
  21. present — a gift
  22. mark — a trace
  23. firm — decided
  24. arm — a part of something

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