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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. fall — the season
  3. kid — child
  4. fall — to drop
  5. chip — to eat
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. rush — hurry
  8. current — happening now
  9. swing — in golf
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. kid — to tease
  12. swing — to play on
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. current — electric
  15. bank — for money
  16. bank — for money
  17. fall — to drop
  18. current — of water
  19. chip — for betting
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. swing — music
  22. bank — of a river
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. arm — part of the 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