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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. row — a line
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. file — a document
  5. spell — letters
  6. rock — music
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. pound — a weight
  10. file — a line of people
  11. hand — help
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. rock — a stone
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. row — to paddle
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. spell — magic
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. file — a tool
  23. spell — a short time
  24. hand — in cards

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