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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. rock — music
  6. ground — the earth
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. rock — a stone
  9. lean — to bend
  10. ground — a position
  11. toast — bread
  12. ground — crushed
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. shower — to wash
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. lean — thin
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. craft — boats
  19. craft — a skill
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. chair — a leader
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. shower — rain

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