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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. bulb — for light
  3. prune — to trim
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. last — final
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. prune — to trim
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. last — finally
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. last — to go on
  16. charge — in control
  17. kid — to tease
  18. charge — electricity
  19. pitch — completely
  20. kid — child
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. charge — a price
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. bulb — for light

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