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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. chest — of your body
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. wound — an injury
  6. charge — a price
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. pop — to visit
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. wound — an injury
  12. chest — of your body
  13. pop — soda
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. pass — a permit
  18. present — a gift
  19. chest — a box
  20. present — the time now
  21. charge — electricity
  22. present — there
  23. pop — music
  24. charge — in control

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