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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 120 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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. file — a document
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. mug — a face
  8. land — to come down
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. mug — to rob
  11. rash — a series
  12. mug — a cup
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. land — ground
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. lie — to recline
  19. file — a tool
  20. pit — a hole
  21. land — a country
  22. rash — hasty
  23. file — a line of people
  24. pit — in a race

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