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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. pass — a permit
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. stock — shares
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. file — a line of people
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. stock — goods
  13. bore — to drill
  14. file — a tool
  15. file — a document
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. bore — to tire
  18. rock — music
  19. rock — a stone
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. plane — a tool
  24. pass — to succeed

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