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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. cell — in biology
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. scale — size or range
  6. row — to paddle
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. rash — a series
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. scale — in music
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. bank — for money
  14. bank — for money
  15. bank — of a river
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. rash — hasty
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. rest — what's left
  20. row — a line
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. rest — a break
  23. cell — a phone
  24. rest — what's left

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