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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. game — wild animals
  4. pass — a permit
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. stock — goods
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. game — a match
  14. stock — shares
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. nail — for a hammer

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