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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. drill — the tool
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. fall — the season
  8. band — a music group
  9. root — of a plant
  10. drill — a practice
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. root — the cause
  13. band — a ring
  14. drill — army training
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. root — of a word
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. fall — to drop
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. fall — to drop
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. arm — part of the body

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