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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. ground — crushed
  3. bank — for money
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. ground — a position
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. scale — in music
  8. bank — for money
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. bank — of a river
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. dip — to sink
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. object — an aim
  17. scale — size or range
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. branch — a division
  22. ground — the earth
  23. object — a thing
  24. calf — a young animal

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