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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. content — happy
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. rest — what's left
  10. rest — what's left
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. rest — a break
  14. content — the amount
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. fine — all right
  20. fine — high quality
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. bat — the animal
  24. straw — a straw man

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