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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. clip — a video
  6. clip — to cut
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. tear — from crying
  10. chest — of your body
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. deal — to handle
  13. mark — a grade
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. mark — a trace
  16. chest — of your body
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. tear — to rip
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. clip — for paper
  24. tear — from crying

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