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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  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. cell — a phone
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. row — to paddle
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. mug — to rob
  8. stand — to bear
  9. mug — a cup
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. mug — a face
  13. row — a line
  14. cell — in biology
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. rock — music
  20. rock — a stone
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. lie — to recline
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  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