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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. bulb — for light
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. rock — a stone
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. degree — an amount
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. rule — government
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. cell — in biology
  12. degree — temperature
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. degree — from a university
  15. rock — music
  16. cell — a phone
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. bat — the animal
  20. bulb — for light
  21. rule — a law
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. arm — part of the body

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