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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. can — a tin
  5. spell — letters
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. can — a tin
  8. bank — of a river
  9. spell — a short time
  10. wound — an injury
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. spell — magic
  14. ball — a dance
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. foot — a measure
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. capital — money
  20. ball — a great time
  21. bank — for money
  22. capital — a city
  23. can — to be able to
  24. wound — an injury

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