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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. chair — a leader
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. wake — a trail
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. can — a tin
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. craft — boats
  12. craft — a skill
  13. can — a tin
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. tube — a container
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. can — to be able to
  19. tube — the underground
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. bulb — for light
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. bulb — for light

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