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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. net — after costs
  3. bear — the animal
  4. net — in sport
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. present — there
  8. snap — to click
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bank — for money
  11. present — a gift
  12. bank — for money
  13. rest — what's left
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. rest — a break
  17. bank — of a river
  18. present — the time now
  19. rest — what's left
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. row — to paddle
  22. net — for catching
  23. row — a line
  24. row — a quarrel

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