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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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Word bank
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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: saw · tube · rush · cell · arm · pit · craft · ground

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. ground — crushed
  7. craft — a skill
  8. pit — in a race
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. ground — a position
  12. tube — the underground
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. craft — boats
  16. saw — the tool
  17. saw — the tool
  18. cell — in biology
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. cell — a phone
  21. pit — a hole
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. rush — hurry
  24. tube — a container

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