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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. charge — a price
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. bass — the fish
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. shower — to wash
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. band — a music group
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. band — a ring
  12. charge — electricity
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. wake — a trail
  15. shower — rain
  16. stock — shares
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. bass — low music
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. stock — goods
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. charge — in control

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