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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: foot · mug · wound · arm · bore · deal · mine · mate

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. bore — to drill
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. wound — an injury
  8. bore — to tire
  9. deal — to handle
  10. mate — to breed
  11. mug — a cup
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. mug — a face
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. mate — a friend
  18. mate — a partner
  19. foot — a measure
  20. mine — for digging
  21. wound — an injury
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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