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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. stock — goods
  6. bound — tied together
  7. stock — shares
  8. chest — of your body
  9. object — an aim
  10. plane — a tool
  11. bulb — for light
  12. net — in sport
  13. bound — obliged
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. chest — a box
  16. net — after costs
  17. chest — of your body
  18. object — to protest
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bound — certain
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. net — for catching
  24. bulb — of a plant

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