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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 120 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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. cold — an illness
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. drill — the tool
  8. lie — to recline
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. rash — hasty
  12. bore — to tire
  13. bore — to drill
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. bass — the fish
  16. bass — low music
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cold — not warm
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. drill — army training
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. drill — a practice
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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