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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. fine — high quality
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. can — to be able to
  7. land — ground
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. can — a tin
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. chip — for betting
  12. can — a tin
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. chip — to eat
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. land — a country
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. last — finally
  20. land — to come down
  21. fine — all right
  22. last — final
  23. last — to go on
  24. lie — to recline

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