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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. land — ground
  4. land — to come down
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. ball — a dance
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. fall — to drop
  9. fine — all right
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. fine — high quality
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. fall — the season
  15. fall — to drop
  16. ball — a great time
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. land — a country
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. deal — to handle
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. chair — a leader
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. trunk — of a tree

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