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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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. staff — employees
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. mug — to rob
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. mug — a face
  10. shower — to wash
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. saw — the tool
  14. rush — hurry
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. staff — employees
  17. mug — a cup
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. saw — the tool
  21. staff — a stick
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. shower — rain
  24. pitcher — a jug

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