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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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. march — the month
  4. suit — in cards
  5. object — to protest
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. suit — to fit
  9. suit — clothes
  10. pop — to visit
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. pop — soda
  13. march — music
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. object — an aim
  17. snap — to click
  18. bore — to tire
  19. date — the fruit
  20. march — the month
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. bore — to drill
  23. pop — music
  24. object — a thing

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