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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. net — after costs
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. last — to go on
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. last — finally
  7. rule — government
  8. foot — a measure
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. saw — the tool
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. rule — a law
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. mug — to rob
  17. saw — the tool
  18. mug — a cup
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. net — for catching
  22. net — in sport
  23. mug — a face
  24. last — final

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