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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. mate — a friend
  3. mate — a partner
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. chip — for betting
  6. stand — to bear
  7. staff — employees
  8. chip — to eat
  9. staff — employees
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. staff — a stick
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. mate — to breed
  18. stand — on your feet

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