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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. rock — music
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. snap — to click
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. object — a thing
  8. rash — hasty
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. object — to protest
  11. saw — the tool
  12. saw — the tool
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. bank — for money
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. bank — for money
  18. bank — of a river
  19. capital — a city
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. rock — a stone
  22. capital — money
  23. object — an aim
  24. capital — a big letter

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