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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. saw — the tool
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. hand — help
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. rock — music
  10. suit — to fit
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. rock — a stone
  13. suit — clothes
  14. season — of the year
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. suit — in cards
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. branch — a division
  21. season — in sport
  22. hand — in cards
  23. saw — the tool
  24. season — to add flavour

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