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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. foot — a measure
  4. current — electric
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. shower — to wash
  7. ball — a dance
  8. current — happening now
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. shower — rain
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. lean — thin
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. lean — to bend
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. current — of water
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. ball — a great time
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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