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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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468
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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. degree — temperature
  8. degree — from a university
  9. rash — hasty
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. degree — an amount
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. fall — to drop
  15. rash — a series
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. fall — the season
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. stand — to bear
  21. fall — to drop
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. cell — in biology
  24. cell — a phone

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