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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: pit · fine · clip · rock · shower · lean · arm · foot

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. fine — high quality
  4. shower — to wash
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. shower — rain
  8. fine — all right
  9. pit — a hole
  10. rock — a stone
  11. foot — a measure
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. lean — to bend
  15. rock — music
  16. clip — to cut
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. pit — in a race
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. clip — a video
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. lean — thin

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