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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. staff — employees
  4. rash — a series
  5. staff — a stick
  6. saw — the tool
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. rock — music
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. staff — employees
  12. fine — all right
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. saw — the tool
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. rash — hasty
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. rock — a stone
  22. fine — high quality
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. fine — a penalty

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