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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 put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. swing — to play on
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. swing — music
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. swing — in golf
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. rush — hurry
  14. chair — a leader
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. pound — a weight
  21. foot — a measure
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. arm — part of the body

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