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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. present — the time now
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. cold — not warm
  5. present — there
  6. net — after costs
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. bear — the animal
  10. net — for catching
  11. cold — an illness
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. foot — a measure
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. dip — to sink
  19. bear — the animal
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. net — in sport
  24. present — a gift

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