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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. shower — to wash
  5. lean — to bend
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. stand — to bear
  9. bear — the animal
  10. shower — rain
  11. bass — low music
  12. lean — thin
  13. bear — the animal
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. rest — what's left
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. rest — what's left
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. roll — a list
  22. rest — a break
  23. bass — the fish
  24. roll — a cake

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