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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'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. last — finally
  5. foot — a measure
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. ball — a dance
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. rush — hurry
  14. last — to go on
  15. ball — a great time
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. last — final
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. squash — the sport
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. squash — to crush
  24. ball — a round shape

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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