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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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. pass — a permit
  6. rash — hasty
  7. chest — of your body
  8. bound — certain
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. chest — of your body
  11. chest — a box
  12. bound — obliged
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. bound — tied together
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. snap — to click
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. pass — to spend time

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