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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. rock — a stone
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. last — to go on
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. last — final
  10. last — finally
  11. land — ground
  12. land — a country
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. land — to come down
  15. can — a tin
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. rock — music
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. mine — for digging
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. can — to be able to
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. can — a tin
  24. wake — a trail

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