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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. mine — for digging
  5. drill — army training
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. shower — to wash
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. shower — rain
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. rule — a law
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. rule — government
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. drill — the tool
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. drill — a practice
  24. foot — a measure

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