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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. rest — a break
  4. chest — a box
  5. game — wild animals
  6. shower — rain
  7. rest — what's left
  8. rest — what's left
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. pitch — completely
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. chest — of your body
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. shower — to wash
  17. mug — to rob
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. mug — a cup
  21. game — a match
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. chest — of your body
  24. mug — a face

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