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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. snap — to click
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. track — a path
  11. track — a song
  12. rest — what's left
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. track — to keep track
  19. rest — what's left
  20. mug — to rob
  21. chair — a leader
  22. mug — a cup
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. mug — a face

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