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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. court — of a king
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. bore — to drill
  5. chip — for betting
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cell — in biology
  10. court — for sport
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. tear — from crying
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. bore — to tire
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. tear — to rip
  20. chip — to eat
  21. cell — a phone
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. tear — from crying
  24. court — of law

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