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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. fork — in a road
  6. branch — a division
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. bat — the animal
  9. suit — in cards
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. present — a gift
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. suit — to fit
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. present — the time now
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. sharp — clever
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. present — there
  21. suit — clothes
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. fork — a garden tool

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