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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'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. row — to paddle
  3. ground — crushed
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. mug — to rob
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. mug — a cup
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. ground — the earth
  14. snap — to click
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. mug — a face
  19. ground — a position
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. perch — the fish
  24. row — a line

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