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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. staff — a stick
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. hand — help
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. staff — employees
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. staff — employees
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. deal — to handle
  20. capital — a city
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. capital — money
  24. fan — to cool the air

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