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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. chair — a leader
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. drill — army training
  5. fork — in a road
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. drill — the tool
  8. mate — to breed
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. suit — in cards
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. mate — a friend
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. mate — a partner
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. drill — a practice
  20. game — a match
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. game — wild animals
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. suit — to fit

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