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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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. mug — a face
  4. prune — to trim
  5. capital — money
  6. mug — to rob
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. mug — a cup
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. capital — a city
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. net — for catching
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. prune — to trim
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. net — in sport
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. net — after costs

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