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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. last — to go on
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. last — final
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. dip — to sink
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. pitch — completely
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. last — finally

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