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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 120 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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. key — for a lock
  3. spring — a coil
  4. saw — the tool
  5. bound — obliged
  6. track — to keep track
  7. track — a song
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. track — a path
  10. key — in music
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. saw — the tool
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. key — the most important part
  17. bound — tied together
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. spring — of water
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. spring — the season
  22. bound — certain
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. fan — a supporter

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