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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. lie — to recline
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. field — for sport
  10. field — farmland
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. field — a subject
  15. rash — a series
  16. bat — the animal
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. sharp — clever
  19. pass — a permit
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. rash — hasty
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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