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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. hand — help
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. fine — high quality
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bass — low music
  9. bear — the animal
  10. sharp — clever
  11. fine — all right
  12. bass — the fish
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. hand — in cards
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. wake — a trail
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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