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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. object — an aim
  4. firm — decided
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. ball — a dance
  7. firm — a company
  8. clip — to cut
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. clip — a video
  11. object — a thing
  12. object — to protest
  13. bore — to drill
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. bore — to tire
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. ball — a great time
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. clip — for paper
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. firm — steady
  24. bat — 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