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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 works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. cell — a phone
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. cell — in biology
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. pit — a hole
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bulb — for light
  17. pit — in a race
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. firm — decided
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. chair — a leader
  24. firm — steady

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