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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. chest — of your body
  5. chip — to eat
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. object — an aim
  8. object — to protest
  9. chest — a box
  10. object — a thing
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. row — a line
  13. chest — of your body
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. row — to paddle
  16. fine — high quality
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. ball — a dance
  21. chip — for betting
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. ball — a great time

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