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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 can't ________________ this cold.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. mine — for digging
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. chest — a box
  6. mark — a grade
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. bass — low music
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. mark — a trace
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. chest — of your body
  16. prune — to trim
  17. rock — a stone
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. chest — of your body
  21. prune — to trim
  22. rock — music
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. bass — the fish

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