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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. charge — in control
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. rest — a break
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. rest — what's left
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. rash — hasty
  12. cell — a phone
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. cell — in biology
  16. charge — electricity
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. ground — crushed
  20. ground — a position
  21. ground — the earth
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. rash — a series
  24. charge — a price

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