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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. fine — high quality
  3. roll — a cake
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. roll — a list
  10. cell — a phone
  11. cell — in biology
  12. cue — for pool
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. cue — a hint
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. cue — a signal
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. fine — all right

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