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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. saw — the tool
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. kid — child
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. firm — steady
  7. mate — a friend
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. club — a group
  10. mate — a partner
  11. face — to point toward
  12. kid — to tease
  13. saw — the tool
  14. club — for dancing
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. face — to confront
  17. face — part of the head
  18. club — for golf
  19. mate — to breed
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. firm — a company
  22. hand — in cards
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. hand — help

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