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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. fall — the season
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. present — the time now
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. game — wild animals
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. fall — to drop
  17. bass — the fish
  18. fall — to drop
  19. prune — to trim
  20. present — there
  21. bass — low music
  22. present — a gift
  23. prune — to trim
  24. game — a match

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