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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. mark — a grade
  4. land — ground
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. land — to come down
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. mark — a trace
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. prune — to trim
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. squash — to crush
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. land — a country
  23. squash — the sport
  24. prune — to trim

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