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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. rest — a break
  3. hand — help
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. hand — in cards
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. stand — to bear
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. pit — a hole
  19. rest — what's left
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. rest — what's left
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. pit — in a race

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