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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. mate — a partner
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. field — for sport
  6. season — in sport
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. last — to go on
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. last — finally
  13. pit — in a race
  14. last — final
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. mate — a friend
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. field — farmland
  20. season — of the year
  21. field — a subject
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. mate — to breed
  24. pit — a hole

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