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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 120 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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. can — a tin
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. wound — an injury
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. deal — to handle
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. pitch — completely
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. can — to be able to
  17. lie — to recline
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. wound — an injury
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. can — a tin
  24. deal — an agreement

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