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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. chest — of your body
  4. chest — a box
  5. key — in music
  6. row — to paddle
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. saw — the tool
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. saw — the tool
  11. key — for a lock
  12. foot — a measure
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. snap — to click
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. key — the most important part
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. row — a line
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. chest — of your body
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. leaves — to go away

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