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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. craft — boats
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. spring — a coil
  6. cue — for pool
  7. bank — for money
  8. pass — a permit
  9. cue — a hint
  10. cue — a signal
  11. bank — of a river
  12. bank — for money
  13. rash — hasty
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. spring — the season
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. craft — a skill
  19. rash — a series
  20. band — a music group
  21. band — a ring
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. spring — of water

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