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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. rash — a series
  5. bank — for money
  6. bank — of a river
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. foot — a measure
  9. lie — to recline
  10. rash — hasty
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. chip — to eat
  13. bank — for money
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. fork — in a road
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. chip — for betting
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. wake — a trail
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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