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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 120 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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. rest — what's left
  3. can — to be able to
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. last — final
  6. charge — electricity
  7. charge — in control
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. last — finally
  10. rest — what's left
  11. can — a tin
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. court — of law
  14. court — for sport
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. court — of a king
  17. can — a tin
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. scale — in music
  20. last — to go on
  21. rest — a break
  22. charge — a price
  23. scale — size or range
  24. row — to paddle

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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