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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 partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. roll — a cake
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. court — of law
  7. roll — a list
  8. bass — low music
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. court — of a king
  12. present — a gift
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. court — for sport
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. bass — the fish
  20. rule — government
  21. present — the time now
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. rule — a law

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