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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. rest — what's left
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. can — to be able to
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. rest — a break
  7. rest — what's left
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. chest — a box
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. chest — of your body
  13. game — a match
  14. kid — child
  15. kid — to tease
  16. game — wild animals
  17. can — a tin
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. chest — of your body
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. nail — for a hammer

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