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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. spell — letters
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. spell — a short time
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. cold — an illness
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. net — after costs
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. net — for catching
  20. spell — magic
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. net — in sport
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. cold — not warm

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