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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. field — a subject
  4. field — farmland
  5. staff — a stick
  6. chest — a box
  7. can — to be able to
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. rush — hurry
  10. can — a tin
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. can — a tin
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. plane — a tool
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. staff — employees
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. chest — of your body
  20. field — for sport
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. chest — of your body
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. staff — employees

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