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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 took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. mark — a grade
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. pit — a hole
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. tear — to rip
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. tear — from crying
  14. squash — to crush
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. spell — a short time
  17. squash — the sport
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. tear — from crying
  20. spell — letters
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. spell — magic
  23. mark — a trace
  24. pit — in a race

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