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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. fork — in a road
  3. rest — what's left
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. mate — a partner
  7. squash — to crush
  8. game — a match
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. mate — a friend
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. rest — what's left
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. rest — a break
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. mate — to breed
  20. bore — to tire
  21. squash — the sport
  22. bore — to drill
  23. game — wild animals
  24. game — a kind of play

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