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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. object — an aim
  3. hand — in cards
  4. hand — help
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. deal — to handle
  11. game — wild animals
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. game — a match
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. object — a thing
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. object — to protest
  23. ball — a dance
  24. ball — a great time

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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