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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. mark — a grade
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. date — the fruit
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. chest — a box
  10. rule — government
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. chest — of your body
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. mark — a trace
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. chest — of your body
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. rule — a law
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. bowl — a football final

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