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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. rest — what's left
  3. last — final
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. mug — a face
  6. rock — music
  7. rest — what's left
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. rest — a break
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. dip — to sink
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. rock — a stone
  18. mug — to rob
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. plane — a tool
  21. last — to go on
  22. mug — a cup
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. last — finally

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