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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. fine — high quality
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. saw — the tool
  5. saw — the tool
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. fine — all right
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. stand — to bear
  13. spring — a coil
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. wound — an injury
  17. chair — a leader
  18. spring — of water
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. spring — the season
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. wound — an injury

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