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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. firm — a company
  6. bank — of a river
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. mark — a trace
  10. bank — for money
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. firm — decided
  14. firm — steady
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. mark — a grade
  18. hand — in cards
  19. fall — to drop
  20. fall — the season
  21. hand — help
  22. bank — for money
  23. fall — to drop
  24. hand — part of the body

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