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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 works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. firm — steady
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. mine — for digging
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. fork — in a road
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. dip — to sink
  21. tube — the underground
  22. tube — a container
  23. firm — decided
  24. dip — to dunk

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