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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. spell — magic
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. cell — a phone
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. chair — a leader
  8. fine — all right
  9. spell — a short time
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. dip — to sink
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. cell — in biology
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. fine — high quality
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. wave — with your hand

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