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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. bound — tied together
  5. hand — in cards
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. branch — a division
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. scale — in music
  12. bound — certain
  13. swing — music
  14. swing — to play on
  15. hand — help
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. swing — in golf
  18. scale — size or range
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. bass — low music
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. bass — the fish

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