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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. wake — a trail
  3. net — for catching
  4. mate — a friend
  5. game — a match
  6. dip — to sink
  7. mate — a partner
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. race — humankind
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. mate — to breed
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. net — in sport
  16. race — the arms race
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. game — wild animals
  20. race — a contest
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. net — after costs
  24. mouse — the animal

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