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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 father caught me by the ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. band — a ring
  4. mug — to rob
  5. root — the cause
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. band — a music group
  9. mug — a cup
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. root — of a word
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. wound — an injury
  19. root — of a plant
  20. mug — a face
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. branch — a division
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. wound — an injury

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