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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 like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. mine — for digging
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. bound — obliged
  11. bound — certain
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. deal — to handle
  14. bound — tied together
  15. dip — to sink
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. stand — to bear
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. nail — for a hammer

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