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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. net — for catching
  5. saw — the tool
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. snap — to click
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. date — the fruit
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. branch — a division
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. net — after costs
  19. foot — a measure
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. net — in sport
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. fan — a supporter

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