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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 don't need to ________________ round.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. net — in sport
  4. bank — for money
  5. net — after costs
  6. net — for catching
  7. branch — a division
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. bank — for money
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. pop — soda
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. bank — of a river
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. pop — music
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. ruler — a monarch

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