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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. David sat on the ________________.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. swing — to play on
  3. wound — an injury
  4. dip — to sink
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. shower — to wash
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. wound — an injury
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. present — a gift
  15. present — there
  16. swing — music
  17. mate — a partner
  18. present — the time now
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. shower — rain
  21. pitch — completely
  22. mate — to breed
  23. swing — in golf
  24. mate — a friend

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