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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. swing — in golf
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. race — the arms race
  14. swing — to play on
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. snap — to click
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. race — a contest
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. race — humankind
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. swing — music
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. rush — hurry

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