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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. can — a tin
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. cold — not warm
  5. charge — a price
  6. charge — electricity
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. can — a tin
  9. foot — a measure
  10. charge — in control
  11. pit — a hole
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. land — a country
  14. land — ground
  15. can — to be able to
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. saw — the tool
  19. saw — the tool
  20. pit — in a race
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. cold — an illness
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. arm — part of the body

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