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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. key — in music
  3. squash — to crush
  4. rest — what's left
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. row — a line
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. fall — to drop
  10. fall — the season
  11. spring — a coil
  12. fall — to drop
  13. rest — a break
  14. rest — what's left
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. spring — the season
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. key — for a lock
  20. spring — of water
  21. squash — the sport
  22. row — to paddle
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. key — the most important part

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