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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 120 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: mug · lie · foot · spell · arm · club · court · fork

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. mug — to rob
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. mug — a cup
  6. spell — letters
  7. court — of law
  8. club — for golf
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. spell — a short time
  12. lie — to recline
  13. mug — a face
  14. club — a group
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. foot — a measure
  18. court — for sport
  19. club — for dancing
  20. fork — in a road
  21. court — of a king
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. lie — an untruth

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