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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. suit — to fit
  3. stand — to bear
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. wound — an injury
  6. spell — magic
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. spell — letters
  12. foot — a measure
  13. suit — in cards
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. net — after costs
  16. suit — clothes
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. wound — an injury
  21. net — for catching
  22. net — in sport
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. spell — a short time

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