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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. kid — to tease
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. foot — a measure
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. current — of water
  7. last — final
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. ball — a great time
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. last — finally
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. current — electric
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. current — happening now
  20. lean — thin
  21. lean — to bend
  22. kid — child
  23. last — to go on
  24. lean — to rest against

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