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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. chest — of your body
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. can — to be able to
  6. chest — of your body
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. can — a tin
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. land — to come down
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. land — a country
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. can — a tin
  18. pass — a permit
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. chest — a box
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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