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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. pass — a permit
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. land — a country
  6. file — a tool
  7. content — happy
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. content — the amount
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. land — to come down
  13. staff — a stick
  14. file — a document
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. file — a line of people
  17. staff — employees
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. land — ground
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. staff — employees
  24. hide — to keep secret

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