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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. suit — clothes
  3. root — of a word
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. kick — in football
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. root — the cause
  9. snap — to click
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. date — the fruit
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. suit — to fit
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. craft — boats
  19. craft — a skill
  20. root — of a plant
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. suit — in cards
  24. date — on the calendar

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