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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. game — wild animals
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. bore — to tire
  8. club — for dancing
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. club — a group
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. suit — in cards
  15. suit — clothes
  16. hand — in cards
  17. bore — to drill
  18. club — for golf
  19. hand — help
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. game — a match
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. suit — to fit

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