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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. chair — a leader
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. hand — help
  6. rash — hasty
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. rash — a series
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. foot — a measure
  13. bank — of a river
  14. bore — to drill
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. shower — to wash
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. bank — for money
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. bore — to tire
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. shower — rain
  23. bank — for money
  24. arm — a part of something

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