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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. bass — the fish
  3. saw — the tool
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. last — final
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. saw — the tool
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. last — to go on
  13. bass — low music
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. last — finally
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. branch — a division
  24. bay — a horse colour

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