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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. firm — steady
  3. cold — an illness
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. craft — boats
  6. pit — in a race
  7. firm — decided
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. current — happening now
  10. cold — not warm
  11. craft — a skill
  12. object — an aim
  13. rock — music
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. current — electric
  16. pit — a hole
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. object — to protest
  19. firm — a company
  20. current — of water
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. rock — a stone
  23. object — a thing
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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