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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'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. file — a line of people
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. file — a tool
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. spring — a coil
  10. pop — soda
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. spring — the season
  13. pop — music
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. file — a document
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. prune — to trim
  18. spring — of water
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. pop — to visit
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. prune — to trim

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