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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. mate — to breed
  3. foot — a measure
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. wake — a trail
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. swing — in golf
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. mate — a friend
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. mate — a partner
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. swing — to play on
  15. swing — music
  16. land — ground
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. saw — the tool
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. land — a country
  23. land — to come down
  24. arm — part of the body

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