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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 took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. mark — a grade
  4. saw — the tool
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. present — a gift
  7. mark — a trace
  8. saw — the tool
  9. cell — a phone
  10. present — the time now
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. cell — in biology
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. present — there
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. branch — a division
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. cell — in a prison

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