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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. rule — government
  5. kid — to tease
  6. bass — low music
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. rule — a law
  9. bore — to drill
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. bass — the fish
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. kid — child
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. key — the most important part
  19. key — in music
  20. bore — to tire
  21. key — for a lock
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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