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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. staff — a stick
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. drill — army training
  5. charge — in control
  6. staff — employees
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. charge — electricity
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. roll — a list
  15. drill — the tool
  16. drill — a practice
  17. staff — employees
  18. charge — a price
  19. roll — a cake
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. fork — in a road
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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