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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. march — music
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. tube — the underground
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. shower — to wash
  11. firm — steady
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. foot — a measure
  18. shower — rain
  19. march — the month
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. firm — decided
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. march — the month
  24. tube — a container

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