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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. mate — to breed
  7. lean — thin
  8. race — humankind
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. race — a contest
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. mate — a friend
  13. foot — a measure
  14. race — the arms race
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. lean — to bend
  20. mate — a partner
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. foot — part of the body

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