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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. current — of water
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. cap — of ice
  6. cap — a lid
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. current — electric
  9. branch — a division
  10. kid — to tease
  11. pit — a hole
  12. kid — child
  13. current — happening now
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. pit — in a race
  21. cap — a hat
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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