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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. pit — a hole
  3. chip — to eat
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. chip — for betting
  6. key — in music
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. saw — the tool
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. pit — in a race
  12. key — the most important part
  13. wind — moving air
  14. rash — a series
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. rash — hasty
  17. key — for a lock
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. saw — the tool
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. wind — moving air
  24. patient — a sick person

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