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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. bound — certain
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. snap — to click
  7. bound — obliged
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. spell — letters
  10. tube — the underground
  11. foot — a measure
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. bound — tied together
  14. saw — the tool
  15. spell — a short time
  16. saw — the tool
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. branch — a division
  19. spell — magic
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. tube — a container
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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