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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.

Make a worksheet

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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. mug — a face
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. last — to go on
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. suit — to fit
  9. fine — high quality
  10. suit — clothes
  11. game — a match
  12. last — final
  13. mug — a cup
  14. chair — a leader
  15. suit — in cards
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. last — finally
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. game — wild animals
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. fine — all right
  24. mug — to rob

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