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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. hand — in cards
  3. present — there
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. capital — money
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. hand — help
  10. bark — to shout
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. present — the time now
  13. capital — a city
  14. lean — to bend
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. present — a gift
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. lean — thin
  24. bay — a horse colour

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