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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. rest — what's left
  5. rest — a break
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. rest — what's left
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. saw — the tool
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. object — a thing
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. object — to protest
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. saw — the tool
  20. object — an aim
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. kick — in football

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