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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. suit — clothes
  3. rush — hurry
  4. dip — to sink
  5. suit — to fit
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. present — a gift
  10. present — there
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. degree — from a university
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. degree — temperature
  18. degree — an amount
  19. present — the time now
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. wake — a trail
  22. suit — in cards
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. dip — a sauce

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