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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. wound — an injury
  10. bear — the animal
  11. deal — to handle
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. bat — the animal
  14. wind — moving air
  15. sharp — clever
  16. wind — moving air
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. wound — an injury
  19. foot — a measure
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. sharp — exactly

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