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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 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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. mug — a face
  3. roll — a list
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. rock — a stone
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. mug — a cup
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. branch — a division
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. mate — to breed
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. rush — hurry
  18. roll — a cake
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. mate — a friend
  22. mug — to rob
  23. mate — a partner
  24. rock — music

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