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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 120 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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. chip — to eat
  6. fall — to drop
  7. rush — hurry
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. chip — for betting
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. foot — a measure
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. fall — the season
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. march — the month
  18. march — music
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. fall — to drop
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. march — the month

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