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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. season — in sport
  5. squash — to crush
  6. bank — for money
  7. squash — the sport
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. game — wild animals
  10. staff — a stick
  11. bank — for money
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. rush — hurry
  17. season — of the year
  18. bank — of a river
  19. game — a match
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. staff — employees
  23. staff — employees
  24. dip — to sink

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