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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. mark — a grade
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. craft — boats
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. present — the time now
  7. charge — in control
  8. present — a gift
  9. file — a line of people
  10. file — a tool
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. craft — a skill
  13. present — there
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. charge — electricity
  16. file — a document
  17. charge — a price
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. pound — a weight
  20. wind — moving air
  21. mark — a trace
  22. wind — moving air
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. arm — part of the body

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