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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 people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. charge — electricity
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. bore — to drill
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. branch — a division
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. charge — in control
  15. pit — a hole
  16. pit — in a race
  17. field — for sport
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. bore — to tire
  20. charge — a price
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. field — a subject
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. field — farmland

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