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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. rest — what's left
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. rest — what's left
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. rest — a break
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. ball — a great time
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. bark — to shout
  21. ball — a dance
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. saw — the tool
  24. bat — the animal

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