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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. firm — decided
  3. net — for catching
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. branch — a division
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. vault — a safe
  13. firm — a company
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. net — in sport
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. net — after costs
  22. sharp — clever
  23. firm — steady
  24. pound — a weight

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