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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. shower — to wash
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. prune — to trim
  7. land — ground
  8. tube — the underground
  9. rash — a series
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. shower — rain
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. land — to come down
  15. stand — to bear
  16. land — a country
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. rash — hasty
  19. tube — a container
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. prune — to trim
  24. arm — a part of something

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