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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. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. clip — a video
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. mark — a trace
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. mark — a grade
  10. clip — for paper
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. fall — to drop
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. rush — hurry
  17. foot — a measure
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. fall — to drop
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. clip — to cut
  23. fall — the season
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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