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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. net — for catching
  5. rest — what's left
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. land — ground
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. spell — magic
  10. net — after costs
  11. rest — what's left
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. spell — a short time
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. rest — a break
  17. spell — letters
  18. net — in sport
  19. land — to come down
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. land — a country

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