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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 rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. lean — thin
  4. club — a group
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. branch — a division
  7. key — the most important part
  8. mine — for digging
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. key — for a lock
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. foot — a measure
  14. lean — to bend
  15. club — for dancing
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. key — in music
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. branch — of a bank

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