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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. pop — music
  3. rule — a law
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. rule — government
  8. rash — a series
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. object — to protest
  11. pop — soda
  12. rash — hasty
  13. bass — the fish
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. object — a thing
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. bass — low music
  20. pop — to visit
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. object — an aim
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. bowl — a dish

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