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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. bank — for money
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. chest — of your body
  7. prune — to trim
  8. rush — hurry
  9. bank — of a river
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. chair — a leader
  12. pound — a weight
  13. pit — in a race
  14. chest — a box
  15. prune — to trim
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. bank — for money
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. chest — of your body
  22. pit — a hole
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. arm — part of the body

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