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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. ball — a dance
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. key — the most important part
  11. fall — to drop
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. chair — a leader
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. fall — to drop
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. foot — a measure
  18. key — in music
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. ball — a great time
  23. key — for a lock
  24. fall — the season

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