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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. tube — a container
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. last — finally
  6. last — to go on
  7. spell — letters
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. chest — of your body
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. chip — to eat
  12. last — final
  13. chest — of your body
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. spell — a short time
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. spell — magic
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. chest — a box
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. tube — the underground
  23. chip — for betting
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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