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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. spell — magic
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. craft — a skill
  7. bank — for money
  8. present — a gift
  9. roll — a cake
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. cold — not warm
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. cold — an illness
  14. present — the time now
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. roll — a list
  17. craft — boats
  18. spell — letters
  19. present — there
  20. bank — of a river
  21. spell — a short time
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. stand — to bear
  24. bank — for money

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