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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. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. saw — the tool
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. suit — to fit
  9. track — a path
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. track — a song
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. suit — in cards
  14. rash — a series
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. saw — the tool
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. rash — hasty
  21. track — to keep track
  22. suit — clothes
  23. chair — a leader
  24. mine — for digging

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