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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. mark — a trace
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. date — the fruit
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. dip — to sink
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. sharp — clever
  13. lean — to bend
  14. lean — thin
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. prune — to trim
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. prune — to trim
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. mark — a grade

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