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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. bank — for money
  4. staff — employees
  5. cell — in biology
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. club — for dancing
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. cell — a phone
  12. fork — in a road
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. bank — of a river
  17. club — for golf
  18. staff — a stick
  19. staff — employees
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. club — a group
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. chair — a leader
  24. bank — for money

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