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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. last — to go on
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. shower — rain
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. rock — music
  9. last — final
  10. present — there
  11. prune — to trim
  12. present — a gift
  13. last — finally
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. prune — to trim
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. shower — to wash
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. present — the time now
  20. bear — the animal
  21. net — after costs
  22. net — in sport
  23. bear — the animal
  24. net — for catching

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