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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. tear — from crying
  4. mark — a grade
  5. tear — to rip
  6. club — a group
  7. club — for golf
  8. club — for dancing
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. tear — from crying
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. saw — the tool
  16. drill — a practice
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. saw — the tool
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. foot — a measure
  22. drill — the tool
  23. drill — army training
  24. mark — a trace

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