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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. rush — hurry
  3. club — a group
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. deal — to handle
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. club — for dancing
  14. club — for golf
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. hand — help
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. hand — in cards
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. ruler — for measuring

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