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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'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. cell — a phone
  3. cue — a hint
  4. band — a music group
  5. charge — electricity
  6. cell — in biology
  7. present — a gift
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. pass — a permit
  11. cue — for pool
  12. present — there
  13. present — the time now
  14. fall — to drop
  15. charge — in control
  16. fall — to drop
  17. charge — a price
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. fall — the season
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. band — a ring
  24. cue — a signal

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