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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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. foot — a measure
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. chest — of your body
  7. ground — the earth
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. staff — a stick
  12. chest — a box
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. pit — in a race
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. pit — a hole
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. ground — crushed
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. ground — a position
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. chest — of your body
  23. staff — employees
  24. foot — part of the body

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