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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 partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. present — there
  3. bound — obliged
  4. present — the time now
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. content — happy
  7. content — the amount
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. bound — certain
  10. present — a gift
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. squash — to crush
  17. squash — the sport
  18. bound — tied together
  19. wound — an injury
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. wound — an injury
  22. foot — a measure
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. coach — a trainer

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