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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. bat — the animal
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. pop — soda
  9. capital — money
  10. pop — music
  11. row — to paddle
  12. suit — clothes
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. bulb — for light
  16. capital — a city
  17. bulb — for light
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. row — a line
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. suit — in cards
  22. suit — to fit
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. pop — to visit

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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