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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'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. sharp — clever
  7. perch — the fish
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. saw — the tool
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. lie — to recline
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. foot — a measure
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. saw — the tool
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. sharp — exactly

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