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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mark · arm · chair · straw · suit · pound · rest · bulb

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. chair — a leader
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. mark — a trace
  7. rest — a break
  8. pound — a weight
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bulb — for light
  13. suit — to fit
  14. rest — what's left
  15. suit — clothes
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. rest — what's left
  21. suit — in cards
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. mark — a grade

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