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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. deal — to handle
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. object — to protest
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. squash — to crush
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. object — an aim
  13. lean — thin
  14. lean — to bend
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. squash — the sport
  19. object — a thing
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. hide — animal skin

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