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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. club — for dancing
  3. club — a group
  4. row — to paddle
  5. rest — what's left
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. spring — the season
  8. file — a tool
  9. bulb — for light
  10. file — a line of people
  11. suit — clothes
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. rest — a break
  15. rest — what's left
  16. bulb — for light
  17. suit — in cards
  18. row — a line
  19. club — for golf
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. spring — a coil
  22. spring — of water
  23. suit — to fit
  24. file — a document

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