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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. last — finally
  3. cell — in biology
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. last — final
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. suit — in cards
  10. object — a thing
  11. object — to protest
  12. band — a music group
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. suit — clothes
  16. cell — a phone
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. suit — to fit
  20. object — an aim
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. rush — hurry
  23. band — a ring
  24. last — to go on

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