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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. rest — what's left
  3. stock — goods
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. wound — an injury
  6. charge — a price
  7. date — the fruit
  8. charge — electricity
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. stock — shares
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. prune — to trim
  14. charge — in control
  15. rest — what's left
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. rest — a break
  19. chest — a box
  20. chest — of your body
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. wound — an injury
  23. chest — of your body
  24. prune — to trim

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