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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. rest — what's left
  3. track — a path
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. cold — an illness
  7. rest — what's left
  8. cold — not warm
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. rest — a break
  11. fine — all right
  12. pit — in a race
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. pop — soda
  16. track — a song
  17. track — to keep track
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. pop — to visit
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. pop — music
  24. fine — high quality

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