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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. court — of a king
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. file — a tool
  6. cue — a hint
  7. court — of law
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. file — a line of people
  10. rash — hasty
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. wound — an injury
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. wound — an injury
  17. court — for sport
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. rash — a series
  20. cue — for pool
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. cue — a signal
  23. file — a document
  24. arm — 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