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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. rest — what's left
  3. charge — in control
  4. date — the fruit
  5. bulb — for light
  6. ball — a dance
  7. rest — a break
  8. bulb — for light
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. charge — a price
  11. wind — moving air
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. cell — in biology
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. charge — electricity
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. rest — what's left
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. cell — a phone
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. ball — a great time
  23. arm — part of the body
  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