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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. pop — music
  3. pop — to visit
  4. drill — army training
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. swing — in golf
  8. drill — the tool
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. drill — a practice
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. rash — hasty
  15. pop — soda
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. rash — a series
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. swing — music
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. swing — to play on
  24. hide — animal skin

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