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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 120 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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. shower — rain
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. bound — tied together
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. shower — to wash
  9. fork — in a road
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. foot — a measure
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. row — a line
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. row — to paddle
  21. bound — certain
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. bound — obliged
  24. mouse — for a computer

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