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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. field — a subject
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. field — farmland
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. hand — in cards
  10. field — for sport
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. foot — a measure
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. lie — to recline
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. hand — help
  24. fan — a supporter

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