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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. shower — to wash
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. shower — rain
  10. rush — hurry
  11. fine — all right
  12. pit — in a race
  13. fine — high quality
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. stem — to come from
  17. chip — for betting
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. chip — to eat
  22. sharp — clever
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. sharp — with an edge

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