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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  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. arm — a part of something
  2. craft — boats
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. clip — a video
  7. clip — for paper
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. object — to protest
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. stand — to bear
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. object — a thing
  21. object — an aim
  22. craft — a skill
  23. clip — to cut
  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