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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. scale — size or range
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. scale — in music
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. fine — high quality
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. craft — a skill
  18. wound — an injury
  19. craft — boats
  20. snap — to click
  21. mine — for digging
  22. wound — an injury
  23. fine — all right
  24. craft — a handicraft

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