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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. rash — hasty
  4. chip — to eat
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. pitch — completely
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. perch — the fish
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. chip — for betting
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. rash — a series
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. leaves — to go away

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