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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. bound — certain
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. spring — a coil
  5. fine — high quality
  6. prune — to trim
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. bound — obliged
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. spring — of water
  11. chip — to eat
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. prune — to trim
  15. chip — for betting
  16. bound — tied together
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. spring — the season
  22. fine — all right
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. plane — a tool

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