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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. last — to go on
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. bass — low music
  8. chair — a leader
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. craft — boats
  11. last — finally
  12. bass — the fish
  13. mug — a cup
  14. bat — the animal
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. mug — to rob
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. mug — a face
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. last — final
  24. craft — a skill

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