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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. lean — to bend
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. prune — to trim
  6. file — a tool
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. mate — a friend
  9. band — a music group
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. prune — to trim
  15. mate — a partner
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. mate — to breed
  18. band — a ring
  19. file — a document
  20. lean — thin
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. file — a line of people
  24. mouse — the animal

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