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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 have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. swing — music
  3. clip — a video
  4. swing — to play on
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. scale — size or range
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. suit — to fit
  10. foot — a measure
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. suit — in cards
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. clip — for paper
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. clip — to cut
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. wind — moving air
  20. scale — in music
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. swing — in golf
  23. wind — moving air
  24. suit — clothes

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