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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'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. sharp — clever
  4. bank — of a river
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. bank — for money
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. date — the fruit
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. row — a line
  18. row — to paddle
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. branch — a division
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. jam — in traffic

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