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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. My father caught me by 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. tube — the underground
  3. chest — a box
  4. chest — of your body
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. tube — a container
  7. rule — government
  8. capital — money
  9. rule — a law
  10. swing — music
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. chest — of your body
  13. swing — to play on
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. current — happening now
  16. capital — a city
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. current — electric
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. swing — in golf
  21. current — of water
  22. dip — to sink
  23. rule — to rule out
  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