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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. game — a match
  3. prune — to trim
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. dip — to sink
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. perch — the fish
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. game — wild animals
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. prune — to trim

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