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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. mark — a grade
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. shower — to wash
  7. cell — in biology
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. ground — a position
  10. staff — employees
  11. staff — a stick
  12. perch — the fish
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. ground — crushed
  15. shower — rain
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. mark — a trace
  20. staff — employees
  21. cell — a phone
  22. foot — a measure
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. foot — 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