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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 120 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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. mate — to breed
  4. prune — to trim
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. wound — an injury
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. ground — a position
  11. present — there
  12. mate — a partner
  13. prune — to trim
  14. deal — to handle
  15. ground — crushed
  16. ground — the earth
  17. mate — a friend
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. present — a gift
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. wound — an injury
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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