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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: bore · deal · net · mate · chair · mug · arm · lie

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. mate — to breed
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. deal — to handle
  6. net — for catching
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. mate — a friend
  13. mug — a face
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. net — in sport
  16. mug — to rob
  17. mate — a partner
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. lie — to recline
  20. bore — to tire
  21. mug — a cup
  22. chair — a leader
  23. net — after costs
  24. bore — to drill

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