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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'll be taking the ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. tube — a container
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. firm — a company
  8. last — final
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. rock — a stone
  12. firm — decided
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. firm — steady
  15. land — a country
  16. land — ground
  17. last — to go on
  18. land — to come down
  19. rock — music
  20. last — finally
  21. pit — in a race
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. trunk — of a car
  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