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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. pitch — completely
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. season — in sport
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. object — an aim
  13. object — a thing
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. snap — to click
  18. craft — boats
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. craft — a skill
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. season — of the year

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