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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. My father caught me by 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. trunk — of a car
  3. swing — music
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. drill — army training
  6. drill — a practice
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. squash — the sport
  9. swing — in golf
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. squash — to crush
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. face — to confront
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. drill — the tool
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. face — part of the head
  21. swing — to play on
  22. face — to point toward
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. arm — part of the body

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