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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. net — in sport
  4. net — for catching
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. track — a song
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. track — a path
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. net — after costs
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. track — to keep track
  18. rush — hurry
  19. mug — to rob
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. bank — for money
  22. bank — for money
  23. bank — of a river
  24. mug — a cup

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