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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. shower — rain
  3. firm — decided
  4. spring — a coil
  5. pit — in a race
  6. bank — of a river
  7. bank — for money
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. firm — steady
  10. bank — for money
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. shower — to wash
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. branch — a division
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. bat — the animal
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. firm — a company
  22. spring — of water
  23. spring — the season
  24. bat — in an idiom

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