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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. chip — to eat
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. rest — what's left
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. staff — a stick
  10. chip — for betting
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. staff — employees
  13. net — for catching
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. net — in sport
  16. cap — a lid
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. cap — a hat
  19. rest — what's left
  20. net — after costs
  21. cap — of ice
  22. kick — in football
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. rest — a break

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