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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 124 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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. rash — a series
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. firm — decided
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. firm — a company
  7. bound — certain
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. chest — of your body
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. bound — tied together
  12. chest — of your body
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. row — to paddle
  15. bound — obliged
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. chest — a box
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. row — a line
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. firm — steady

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