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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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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. swing — music
  3. tube — a container
  4. tube — the underground
  5. present — there
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. present — the time now
  8. race — humankind
  9. present — a gift
  10. swing — in golf
  11. race — a contest
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. race — the arms race
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. swing — to play on
  18. wave — a sudden rise

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