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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. cell — a phone
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. track — to keep track
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. bore — to drill
  11. cell — in biology
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. wind — moving air
  14. hand — help
  15. bore — to tire
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. track — a song
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. fork — in a road
  22. track — a path
  23. wind — moving air
  24. bore — gave birth

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