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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 120 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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. bore — to drill
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. rush — hurry
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. clip — to cut
  9. face — to confront
  10. clip — for paper
  11. face — part of the head
  12. bulb — for light
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. bulb — for light
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. bore — to tire
  17. deal — to handle
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. face — to point toward
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. clip — a video
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. bore — gave birth

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