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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. chip — to eat
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. wake — a trail
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. ground — the earth
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. ground — crushed
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. chip — for betting
  13. fall — to drop
  14. fall — the season
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. fall — to drop
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. ground — a position

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