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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. pass — a permit
  4. rash — a series
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. land — ground
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. chest — a box
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. chest — of your body
  14. rash — hasty
  15. lie — to recline
  16. chair — a leader
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. land — to come down
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. chest — of your body
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. land — a country
  24. chair — a professorship

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