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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. pound — a weight
  6. charge — electricity
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. charge — a price
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. mine — for digging
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. pit — in a race
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. squash — the sport
  16. bore — to tire
  17. charge — in control
  18. squash — to crush
  19. chest — of your body
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. bore — to drill
  22. chest — a box
  23. pit — a hole
  24. chest — of your 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