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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. saw — the tool
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. pop — soda
  5. pop — to visit
  6. wound — an injury
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. fork — in a road
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. wound — an injury
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. deal — to handle
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. saw — the tool
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. foot — a measure
  21. pop — music
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. fork — to eat with

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