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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. charge — in control
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. land — ground
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. sharp — clever
  13. charge — a price
  14. land — to come down
  15. snap — to click
  16. charge — electricity
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. firm — steady
  20. firm — decided
  21. land — a country
  22. firm — a company
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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