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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 120 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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. bear — the animal
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. can — a tin
  8. can — to be able to
  9. sharp — clever
  10. bear — the animal
  11. present — the time now
  12. shower — rain
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. bass — low music
  15. present — a gift
  16. bass — the fish
  17. deal — to handle
  18. present — there
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. can — a tin
  22. shower — to wash
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. deal — a big deal

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