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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. chest — a box
  3. craft — boats
  4. chest — of your body
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. charge — a price
  8. charge — electricity
  9. season — in sport
  10. ground — crushed
  11. craft — a skill
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. chest — of your body
  15. ground — a position
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. charge — in control
  18. season — of the year

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