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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. suit — to fit
  5. clip — a video
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. object — an aim
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. suit — clothes
  10. chest — of your body
  11. chest — of your body
  12. branch — a division
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. object — a thing
  16. clip — for paper
  17. object — to protest
  18. chest — a box
  19. clip — to cut
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. suit — in cards
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. stand — to bear
  24. branch — of a tree

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