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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. stand — to bear
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. face — part of the head
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. bore — to tire
  11. bore — to drill
  12. tube — the underground
  13. tube — a container
  14. face — to point toward
  15. club — for golf
  16. row — a line
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. club — a group
  19. face — to confront
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. row — to paddle
  23. rush — hurry
  24. club — for dancing

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