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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. pop — music
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. band — a music group
  8. file — a document
  9. chest — a box
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. pop — to visit
  14. pop — soda
  15. file — a tool
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. band — a ring
  19. chest — of your body
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. file — a line of people
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. chest — of your body
  24. coach — a trainer

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