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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. present — there
  3. craft — boats
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. present — the time now
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. mine — for digging
  8. rock — a stone
  9. mark — a grade
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. mark — a trace
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. craft — a skill
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. game — a match
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. game — wild animals
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. rock — music
  23. present — a gift
  24. mine — belonging to me

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