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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. row — a line
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. can — a tin
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. scale — in music
  9. can — a tin
  10. track — a song
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. branch — a division
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. scale — size or range
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. track — to keep track
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. row — to paddle
  23. track — a path
  24. branch — of a bank

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