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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. pop — soda
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. can — to be able to
  5. rash — hasty
  6. can — a tin
  7. foot — a measure
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. pop — to visit
  10. tube — the underground
  11. bore — to tire
  12. rash — a series
  13. pop — music
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. tube — a container
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. kid — child
  20. bore — to drill
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. can — a tin
  24. kid — to tease

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