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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. can — to be able to
  3. can — a tin
  4. bank — of a river
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. ball — a great time
  8. ball — a dance
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. bank — for money
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. mate — a partner
  14. can — a tin
  15. mate — to breed
  16. bank — for money
  17. cell — a phone
  18. kid — child
  19. kid — to tease
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. season — of the year
  22. mate — a friend
  23. season — in sport
  24. cell — in biology

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