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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. suit — clothes
  3. bound — certain
  4. land — a country
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. wake — a trail
  7. land — ground
  8. land — to come down
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. bound — obliged
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. stand — to bear
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. suit — in cards
  20. bound — tied together
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. bat — the animal
  24. suit — to fit

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