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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. stand — to bear
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. bound — tied together
  6. bound — obliged
  7. bound — certain
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. hand — in cards
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. rest — what's left
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. hand — help
  15. ball — a great time
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. ball — a dance
  19. rest — what's left
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. rest — a break
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. racket — a loud noise

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