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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. can — to be able to
  4. hand — in cards
  5. mate — a friend
  6. cell — in biology
  7. prune — to trim
  8. can — a tin
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. mate — a partner
  11. hand — help
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. prune — to trim
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. key — in music
  16. mate — to breed
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. cell — a phone
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. key — the most important part
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. key — for a lock
  24. can — a tin

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