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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. mine — for digging
  3. last — to go on
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. row — to paddle
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. last — finally
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. last — final
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. foot — a measure
  18. firm — decided
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. row — a line
  21. firm — a company
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. firm — steady
  24. arm — part of the body

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