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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. snap — to click
  5. bound — obliged
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. bound — tied together
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. rest — what's left
  15. mine — for digging
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. bound — certain
  18. rest — what's left
  19. stand — to bear
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. rest — a break
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. arm — a part of something
  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