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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. bear — the animal
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. ground — a position
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. roll — a cake
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. craft — boats
  9. lean — to bend
  10. game — wild animals
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. ground — the earth
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. ground — crushed
  15. bear — the animal
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. pass — a permit
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. game — a match
  21. lean — thin
  22. craft — a skill
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. roll — a list

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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