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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. mate — to breed
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bank — for money
  5. bass — low music
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. chest — of your body
  9. mate — a partner
  10. bear — the animal
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. bank — of a river
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bank — for money
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. mate — a friend
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. scale — in music
  21. chest — a box
  22. bass — the fish
  23. chest — of your body
  24. scale — size or range

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