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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. bound — certain
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. row — to paddle
  9. bound — tied together
  10. chip — for betting
  11. chest — a box
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. chest — of your body
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. chip — to eat
  20. pitch — completely
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. row — a line
  23. bound — obliged
  24. chest — of your 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