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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 sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. row — to paddle
  3. chest — of your body
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. degree — an amount
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. chest — a box
  10. degree — from a university
  11. roll — a cake
  12. snap — to click
  13. chest — of your body
  14. row — a line
  15. roll — a list
  16. spell — letters
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. degree — temperature
  19. spell — magic
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. spell — a short time
  24. leaves — lets stay

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