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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. roll — a cake
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. drill — a practice
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. roll — a list
  11. bat — the animal
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. bass — low music
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. drill — the tool
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. bass — the fish
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. drill — army training

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