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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. staff — a stick
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. land — to come down
  7. land — ground
  8. clip — to cut
  9. staff — employees
  10. pitch — completely
  11. clip — a video
  12. clip — for paper
  13. rest — what's left
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. rest — what's left
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. staff — employees
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. suit — clothes
  22. rest — a break
  23. land — a country
  24. suit — in cards

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