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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. scale — in music
  3. bound — tied together
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. pass — a permit
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. object — an aim
  9. spring — the season
  10. object — a thing
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. spring — of water
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. bound — certain
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. scale — size or range
  19. spring — a coil
  20. object — to protest
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. bat — the animal
  24. bound — obliged

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