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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. mate — a partner
  4. shower — to wash
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. prune — to trim
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. chest — of your body
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. mate — to breed
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. bat — the animal
  16. prune — to trim
  17. stand — to bear
  18. chest — a box
  19. mate — a friend
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. chest — of your body
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. shower — rain
  24. bat — in an idiom

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