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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. staff — a stick
  5. object — to protest
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. hand — in cards
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. hand — help
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. staff — employees
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. dip — to sink
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. object — an aim
  22. staff — employees
  23. object — a thing
  24. leaves — of a tree

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