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

Word bank: pit · plane · arm · rock · hide · rest · last · mate

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. pit — a hole
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. last — to go on
  5. last — finally
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. pit — in a race
  8. mate — a friend
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. rock — music
  11. mate — to breed
  12. rock — a stone
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. last — final
  16. plane — a tool
  17. rest — a break
  18. rest — what's left
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. rest — what's left
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. mate — a partner

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