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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. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. chest — of your body
  3. stock — shares
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. mark — a grade
  7. stock — goods
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. deal — to handle
  11. lie — to recline
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. bound — tied together
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. bound — obliged
  18. bound — certain
  19. chest — of your body
  20. mark — a trace
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. chest — a box
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. arm — a part of something

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