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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. fine — all right
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. hand — in cards
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. pit — in a race
  11. shower — to wash
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. lean — to bend
  14. pit — a hole
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. fine — high quality
  18. shower — rain
  19. lean — thin
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. pitch — completely
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. hand — help
  24. fine — a penalty

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