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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. rush — hurry
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. club — for dancing
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. march — the month
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. squash — to crush
  11. deal — to handle
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. club — a group
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. march — music
  21. march — the month
  22. club — for golf
  23. squash — the sport
  24. fan — a supporter

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