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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rule — a law
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. can — a tin
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. can — to be able to
  8. fall — the season
  9. can — a tin
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. rest — a break
  12. spell — letters
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. fall — to drop
  15. spell — magic
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. fall — to drop
  18. spell — a short time
  19. rest — what's left
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. rule — government

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