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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. wound — an injury
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. pop — soda
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. wound — an injury
  10. pit — in a race
  11. pit — a hole
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. pop — to visit
  14. stock — shares
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. stock — goods
  18. pop — music
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. lash — to lash out

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