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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. pit — in a race
  3. wound — an injury
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. mate — a partner
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. mate — a friend
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. chip — to eat
  10. row — to paddle
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. chip — for betting
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. wind — moving air
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. pit — a hole
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. wind — moving air
  21. wound — an injury
  22. row — a line
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. wind — to turn a key

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