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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. pit — in a race
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. fall — to drop
  5. cap — of ice
  6. charge — electricity
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. pit — a hole
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. file — a document
  11. file — a tool
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. rush — hurry
  15. charge — in control
  16. fall — to drop
  17. cap — a lid
  18. cap — a hat
  19. fall — the season
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. file — a line of people
  22. charge — a price
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. trunk — of a car

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