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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. cold — an illness
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. pit — in a race
  5. charge — a price
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. charge — electricity
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. lean — to bend
  14. pit — a hole
  15. charge — in control
  16. pass — a permit
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. ball — a dance
  19. ball — a great time
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. cold — not warm
  23. stand — to bear
  24. lean — thin

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