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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  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. pop — to visit
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. game — a match
  5. saw — the tool
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. game — wild animals
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. pop — soda
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. plane — a tool
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. pop — music
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. saw — the tool
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. craft — boats
  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