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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. rash — a series
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. net — for catching
  5. rash — hasty
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. clip — for paper
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. clip — a video
  11. roll — a list
  12. lie — to recline
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. fork — in a road
  15. bear — the animal
  16. net — after costs
  17. bear — the animal
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. net — in sport
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. roll — a cake
  23. clip — to cut
  24. bear — to put up with

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