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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. craft — boats
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. craft — a skill
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. lean — to bend
  8. lean — thin
  9. game — a match
  10. tube — a container
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. tube — the underground
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. bore — to tire
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. present — a gift
  17. game — wild animals
  18. bore — to drill
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. present — the time now
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. present — there
  24. arm — part of the body

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