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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: arm · pit · rest · mine · mouse · nail · dip · fork

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. rest — what's left
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. pit — a hole
  9. rest — what's left
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. mine — for digging
  18. fork — in a road
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. pit — in a race
  22. rest — a break
  23. dip — to sink
  24. dip — a sauce

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