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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. lie — to recline
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. bark — to shout
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. deal — to handle
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. bat — the animal
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. date — the fruit

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