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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've got to change the light ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bear — the animal
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. bear — the animal
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. staff — a stick
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. cold — not warm
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. mine — for digging
  19. staff — employees
  20. bulb — for light
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. staff — employees
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. cold — an illness

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