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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. last — to go on
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. last — final
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. lie — to recline
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. chest — of your body
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. last — finally
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. chest — a box
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. chest — of your body
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. fan — to cool the air

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