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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. scale — size or range
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. court — of law
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. present — there
  8. present — a gift
  9. scale — in music
  10. present — the time now
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. court — of a king
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. cue — for pool
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. cue — a hint
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. cue — a signal
  23. court — for sport
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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