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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 father caught me by the ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. present — there
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. present — a gift
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. rule — government
  9. wind — moving air
  10. key — the most important part
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. key — in music
  15. present — the time now
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. rule — a law
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. key — for a lock
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. wind — moving air

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