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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. firm — decided
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. rash — a series
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. kick — in football
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. firm — steady
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. rash — hasty
  19. firm — a company
  20. branch — a division
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. stand — to bear
  24. cell — in biology

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