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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. chest — a box
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. swing — in golf
  7. game — wild animals
  8. band — a ring
  9. band — a music group
  10. saw — the tool
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. pit — in a race
  13. saw — the tool
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. game — a match
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. swing — to play on
  19. chest — of your body
  20. swing — music
  21. chest — of your body
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. game — a kind of play

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