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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. suit — to fit
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. prune — to trim
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. prune — to trim
  8. suit — clothes
  9. degree — temperature
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. degree — from a university
  13. land — ground
  14. land — a country
  15. land — to come down
  16. shower — rain
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. shower — to wash
  19. suit — in cards
  20. degree — an amount
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. lash — an eyelash

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