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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 people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. bass — the fish
  4. charge — a price
  5. kid — child
  6. chest — a box
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. chest — of your body
  10. chest — of your body
  11. charge — electricity
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. charge — in control
  14. date — the fruit
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. net — in sport
  17. net — after costs
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. kid — to tease
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. bass — low music
  24. net — for catching

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