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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. charge — in control
  5. firm — a company
  6. charge — electricity
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. can — a tin
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. stem — to come from
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. firm — decided
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. charge — a price
  17. band — a ring
  18. sharp — clever
  19. can — to be able to
  20. lie — to recline
  21. can — a tin
  22. firm — steady
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. band — a music group

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