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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. bass — low music
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. mug — a cup
  6. rest — a break
  7. prune — to trim
  8. branch — a division
  9. mate — a partner
  10. mug — a face
  11. mate — to breed
  12. rest — what's left
  13. mate — a friend
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. bass — the fish
  16. prune — to trim
  17. rest — what's left
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. cue — a hint
  21. cue — a signal
  22. mug — to rob
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. cue — for pool

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