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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. current — of water
  4. current — happening now
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. degree — from a university
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. degree — an amount
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. degree — temperature
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. rest — what's left
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. current — electric
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. stand — to bear
  22. rest — a break
  23. rest — what's left
  24. hand — in cards

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