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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. last — to go on
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. net — in sport
  5. last — finally
  6. net — for catching
  7. ground — a position
  8. mug — a face
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. staff — employees
  11. saw — the tool
  12. ground — crushed
  13. ground — the earth
  14. net — after costs
  15. mug — a cup
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. staff — employees
  20. saw — the tool
  21. staff — a stick
  22. last — final
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. foot — a measure

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