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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. suit — to fit
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. kid — child
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. suit — clothes
  7. rule — a law
  8. pitch — completely
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. branch — a division
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. wake — a trail
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. bat — the animal
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. rule — government
  18. kid — to tease
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. suit — in cards
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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