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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. last — final
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. last — finally
  5. charge — in control
  6. rash — a series
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. cue — a hint
  9. file — a tool
  10. cue — a signal
  11. charge — a price
  12. cue — for pool
  13. rash — hasty
  14. last — to go on
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. file — a line of people
  18. craft — a skill
  19. file — a document
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. craft — boats
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. charge — electricity

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