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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. chair — a leader
  6. file — a tool
  7. current — happening now
  8. file — a line of people
  9. file — a document
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. tear — to rip
  12. firm — decided
  13. firm — steady
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. current — electric
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. tear — from crying
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. tear — from crying
  23. current — of water
  24. firm — a company

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