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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. stand — to bear
  3. saw — the tool
  4. staff — a stick
  5. fine — high quality
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. mate — a partner
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. prune — to trim
  12. staff — employees
  13. prune — to trim
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. mate — a friend
  17. fine — all right
  18. row — a line
  19. row — to paddle
  20. saw — the tool
  21. mate — to breed
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. staff — employees
  24. row — a quarrel

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