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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. clip — to cut
  7. wake — a trail
  8. fork — in a road
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. clip — a video
  14. clip — for paper
  15. suit — to fit
  16. suit — in cards
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. suit — clothes
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. deal — to handle
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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