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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. net — for catching
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. bulb — for light
  8. charge — in control
  9. file — a tool
  10. charge — electricity
  11. net — in sport
  12. charge — a price
  13. dip — to sink
  14. prune — to trim
  15. file — a document
  16. file — a line of people
  17. prune — to trim
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. net — after costs
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. bulb — for light
  24. dip — to dunk

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