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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 felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  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. chest — of your body
  2. suit — clothes
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. suit — to fit
  5. mate — a partner
  6. chest — of your body
  7. file — a document
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. march — the month
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. file — a tool
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. file — a line of people
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. mate — a friend
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. suit — in cards
  18. march — the month
  19. mate — to breed
  20. chest — a box
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. march — music
  23. arm — part of the body
  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