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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 mare is ________________ in color.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. cue — a signal
  5. fork — in a road
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. root — the cause
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. cue — for pool
  11. mate — to breed
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. root — of a word
  14. mate — a friend
  15. root — of a plant
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. cue — a hint
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. mate — a partner
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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