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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. pit — a hole
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. perch — the fish
  13. mate — a partner
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. kid — child
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. mate — to breed
  21. mate — a friend
  22. pit — in a race
  23. chair — a leader
  24. kid — to tease

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