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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. dip — to sink
  6. can — a tin
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. can — to be able to
  9. bound — obliged
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. bound — tied together
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. bound — certain
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. sharp — clever
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. foot — a measure
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. can — a tin
  24. lie — to recline

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