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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: suit · kid · fine · field · leaves · bulb · arm · sharp

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. kid — to tease
  7. fine — all right
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. suit — clothes
  10. bulb — for light
  11. field — farmland
  12. fine — high quality
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. field — for sport
  16. suit — in cards
  17. kid — child
  18. field — a subject
  19. sharp — clever
  20. bulb — for light
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. suit — to fit
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. sharp — with an edge

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