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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  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 — part of the body
  2. present — there
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. staff — a stick
  7. ball — a great time
  8. present — the time now
  9. staff — employees
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. wake — a trail
  15. ball — a dance
  16. present — a gift
  17. season — of the year
  18. season — in sport
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. mine — for digging
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. staff — employees
  23. mine — belonging to me
  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