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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. squash — to crush
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. squash — the sport
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. cell — in biology
  20. foot — a measure
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. fork — in a road
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. cell — a phone

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