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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. wound — an injury
  3. stock — goods
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. tube — the underground
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. ball — a dance
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. bulb — for light
  13. tube — a container
  14. rush — hurry
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. ball — a great time
  19. stock — shares
  20. wound — an injury
  21. bulb — for light
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. stock — a soup base

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