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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. craft — boats
  4. bulb — for light
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. degree — from a university
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. craft — a skill
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. staff — employees
  14. degree — temperature
  15. pound — a weight
  16. hand — help
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. degree — an amount
  19. bulb — for light
  20. staff — employees
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. staff — a stick
  24. hand — in cards

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