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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. swing — in golf
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. swing — to play on
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. dip — to sink
  9. fine — all right
  10. fine — high quality
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. bore — to tire
  15. plane — a tool
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. swing — music
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. bore — to drill

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