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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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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 mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. cell — in biology
  3. bass — the fish
  4. bass — low music
  5. cap — a hat
  6. key — in music
  7. cell — a phone
  8. rest — what's left
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. cap — of ice
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. cap — a lid
  16. key — for a lock
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. rest — a break
  20. key — the most important part
  21. rest — what's left
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. branch — a division
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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