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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 got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. last — finally
  3. staff — employees
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. rest — what's left
  6. pit — a hole
  7. swing — in golf
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. roll — a list
  10. staff — employees
  11. hand — help
  12. swing — music
  13. last — to go on
  14. pit — in a race
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. rest — what's left
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. rest — a break
  19. last — final
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. swing — to play on
  22. staff — a stick
  23. roll — a cake
  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