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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. charge — in control
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. hand — in cards
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. rush — hurry
  11. pit — in a race
  12. bore — to tire
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. bore — to drill
  15. hand — help
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. charge — electricity
  19. charge — a price
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. pit — a hole

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