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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. last — final
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. cue — for pool
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. mine — for digging
  9. cue — a hint
  10. bank — for money
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. cue — a signal
  14. last — finally
  15. bank — of a river
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. bank — for money
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. last — to go on
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. arm — 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