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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. rash — a series
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. cell — in biology
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. pop — to visit
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. wind — moving air
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. cell — a phone
  16. pop — music
  17. bass — the fish
  18. rash — hasty
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. bass — low music
  21. wind — moving air
  22. pop — soda
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. jam — a tight spot

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