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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. row — a line
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. ball — a dance
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. ball — a great time
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. season — in sport
  13. stand — to bear
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. season — of the year
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. row — to paddle
  24. nail — for a hammer

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