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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. charge — electricity
  5. season — of the year
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. season — in sport
  9. charge — in control
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. prune — to trim
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. rock — a stone
  16. prune — to trim
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. charge — a price
  19. chair — a leader
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. arm — part of the body

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