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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. suit — to fit
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. pop — soda
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. suit — clothes
  8. charge — in control
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. foot — a measure
  11. charge — a price
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. race — a contest
  14. race — the arms race
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. race — humankind
  19. suit — in cards
  20. pop — to visit
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. charge — electricity
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. patient — a sick person

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