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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 potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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. chip — to eat
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. rest — a break
  7. season — in sport
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. spring — the season
  10. pop — soda
  11. pop — to visit
  12. current — of water
  13. spring — a coil
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. rest — what's left
  16. current — electric
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. spring — of water
  19. chip — for betting
  20. pop — music
  21. current — happening now
  22. rest — what's left
  23. season — of the year
  24. arm — a part of something

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