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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 120 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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: arm · pit · pop · leaves · mate · ground · rash · rest

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. ground — crushed
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. pop — soda
  5. pop — music
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. rest — what's left
  8. pop — to visit
  9. ground — a position
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. rest — what's left
  12. pit — a hole
  13. ground — the earth
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. rest — a break
  17. mate — a friend
  18. rash — hasty
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. rash — a series
  21. mate — a partner
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. pit — in a race
  24. arm — a part of something

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