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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. saw — the tool
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. chest — of your body
  7. saw — the tool
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. chest — of your body
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. chest — a box
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. branch — a division
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. rule — a law
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. chair — a leader
  23. rule — government
  24. cabinet — ministers

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