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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. bass — low music
  3. present — there
  4. mug — a cup
  5. hand — help
  6. hand — in cards
  7. suit — in cards
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. present — a gift
  11. branch — a division
  12. race — the arms race
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. present — the time now
  15. bass — the fish
  16. suit — to fit
  17. mug — a face
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. mug — to rob
  21. suit — clothes
  22. race — a contest
  23. race — humankind
  24. bass — the instrument

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