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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. net — in sport
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. bank — for money
  8. face — to confront
  9. net — for catching
  10. face — part of the head
  11. net — after costs
  12. season — of the year
  13. season — in sport
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. kick — in football
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. bank — for money
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. band — a ring
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. face — to point toward
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. bank — of a river

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