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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. mug — to rob
  3. lean — thin
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. lean — to bend
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. fork — in a road
  10. rule — government
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. plane — a tool
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. rule — a law
  21. mug — a cup
  22. mug — a face
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. pitcher — a jug

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