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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. content — happy
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. content — the amount
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. bass — the fish
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. roll — a cake
  13. bass — low music
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. plane — a tool
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. bear — the animal
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. roll — a list
  22. bear — the animal
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. bass — the instrument

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