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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. cue — a signal
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. root — of a plant
  9. cue — a hint
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. wound — an injury
  12. cue — for pool
  13. chip — for betting
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. cold — an illness
  18. root — of a word
  19. cold — not warm
  20. pit — in a race
  21. root — the cause
  22. pit — a hole
  23. chip — to eat
  24. wound — an injury

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