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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  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. court — of a king
  3. rash — hasty
  4. court — for sport
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. rash — a series
  14. wound — an injury
  15. bear — the animal
  16. wound — an injury
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. court — of law
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. bear — the animal
  23. foot — a measure
  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