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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. scale — in music
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. row — to paddle
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. row — a line
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. kick — in football
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. date — the fruit
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. cell — in biology
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. scale — size or range
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. cell — a phone
  24. cell — in a prison

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