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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 had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. row — to paddle
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. suit — clothes
  5. suit — in cards
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. band — a music group
  8. suit — to fit
  9. mine — for digging
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. rush — hurry
  12. row — a line
  13. chest — a box
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. chest — of your body
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. chest — of your body
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. band — a ring
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. rush — a thrill

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