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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. ground — a position
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. clip — to cut
  5. clip — for paper
  6. bank — for money
  7. clip — a video
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. foot — a measure
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. ground — crushed
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. pound — a weight
  15. bear — the animal
  16. firm — steady
  17. firm — a company
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. bear — the animal
  20. ground — the earth
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. bank — for money
  24. firm — decided

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