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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. spell — magic
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. spell — a short time
  6. pop — soda
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. season — in sport
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. season — of the year
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. pop — to visit
  20. foot — a measure
  21. pop — music
  22. bore — to tire
  23. bore — to drill
  24. spell — letters

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