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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called 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. deal — a big deal
  3. deal — to handle
  4. chest — a box
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. chest — of your body
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. foot — a measure
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. pound — a weight
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. chest — of your body
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. prune — to trim
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. prune — to trim
  23. plane — a tool
  24. plane — in geometry

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