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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. fork — in a road
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. wind — moving air
  5. rest — what's left
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. rest — what's left
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. charge — in control
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. charge — electricity
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. charge — a price
  17. rest — a break
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. bark — to shout
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. wind — moving air
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. mine — for digging

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