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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. spell — letters
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. lean — to bend
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. spell — magic
  10. net — after costs
  11. net — for catching
  12. bear — the animal
  13. deal — to handle
  14. mine — for digging
  15. spell — a short time
  16. net — in sport
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. rush — hurry
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. bear — the animal
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. lean — thin
  24. deal — a big deal

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