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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. sharp — clever
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. bank — for money
  6. bank — of a river
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. net — after costs
  9. net — in sport
  10. dip — to sink
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. court — of law
  13. court — for sport
  14. wound — an injury
  15. court — of a king
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. wound — an injury
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. bank — for money
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. deal — to handle
  23. net — for catching
  24. sharp — with an edge

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