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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 sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. craft — boats
  3. game — wild animals
  4. mate — a friend
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. game — a match
  7. season — in sport
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. band — a music group
  10. bulb — for light
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. bulb — for light
  14. craft — a skill
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. kid — child
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. mate — a partner
  20. band — a ring
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. mate — to breed
  23. kid — to tease
  24. season — of the year

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