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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. track — a song
  4. rock — music
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. last — final
  8. tear — to rip
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. last — finally
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. tear — from crying
  13. track — to keep track
  14. rule — a law
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. rock — a stone
  17. tear — from crying
  18. fine — high quality
  19. track — a path
  20. last — to go on
  21. rule — government
  22. fine — all right
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. bowl — to roll

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