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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. rest — what's left
  4. can — a tin
  5. bound — certain
  6. rest — a break
  7. court — of law
  8. rest — what's left
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. clip — a video
  12. bound — tied together
  13. can — a tin
  14. clip — for paper
  15. court — for sport
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. lie — to recline
  19. clip — to cut
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. court — of a king
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. bound — obliged

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