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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. roll — a cake
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. degree — an amount
  15. lie — to recline
  16. degree — from a university
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. degree — temperature
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. roll — a list
  22. sharp — clever
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. fan — a supporter

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