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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. file — a document
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. dip — to sink
  7. craft — boats
  8. bound — obliged
  9. file — a tool
  10. bound — certain
  11. file — a line of people
  12. pound — a weight
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. hand — help
  16. craft — a skill
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. bound — tied together
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. leaves — of a tree

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