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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 ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. fine — high quality
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. can — to be able to
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. spell — letters
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. fine — all right
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. mine — for digging
  14. lean — thin
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. can — a tin
  17. can — a tin
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. wound — an injury
  21. spell — a short time
  22. lean — to bend
  23. wound — an injury
  24. spell — magic

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