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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: hand · wound · foot · bound · chip · bulb · cap · arm

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. bound — tied together
  4. bound — certain
  5. cap — a hat
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. cap — of ice
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. chip — to eat
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bound — obliged
  12. hand — in cards
  13. wound — an injury
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. hand — help
  17. bulb — for light
  18. wound — an injury
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. foot — a measure
  21. cap — a lid
  22. chip — for betting
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. chip — in a computer

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