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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: wind · present · pitcher · lie · mug · sharp · arm · pit

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. mug — a face
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. mug — to rob
  6. present — there
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pit — a hole
  12. pit — in a race
  13. sharp — clever
  14. present — the time now
  15. lie — to recline
  16. wind — moving air
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. present — a gift
  21. mug — a cup
  22. wind — moving air
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. arm — a part of something

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