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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. file — a tool
  4. drill — army training
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. drill — the tool
  7. current — of water
  8. file — a line of people
  9. current — happening now
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. drill — a practice
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. object — a thing
  14. object — to protest
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. current — electric
  17. file — a document
  18. object — an aim
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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