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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 120 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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  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 — a part of something
  2. foot — a measure
  3. bulb — for light
  4. ground — the earth
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. ground — crushed
  7. bulb — for light
  8. spring — of water
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. ground — a position
  11. staff — employees
  12. staff — a stick
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. staff — employees
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. spring — a coil
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. spring — the season
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. foot — part of the body
  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