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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 partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. tear — to rip
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. bass — low music
  6. last — to go on
  7. mine — for digging
  8. bank — for money
  9. last — finally
  10. present — a gift
  11. bank — for money
  12. cue — a hint
  13. last — final
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. bass — the fish
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. present — the time now
  19. bank — of a river
  20. cue — for pool
  21. tear — from crying
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. cue — a signal
  24. tear — from crying

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