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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. rock — music
  5. clip — to cut
  6. land — a country
  7. clip — a video
  8. chair — a leader
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. land — to come down
  12. land — ground
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. clip — for paper
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. rock — a stone
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. foot — a measure
  24. chair — a professorship

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