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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. clip — for paper
  3. game — wild animals
  4. bass — low music
  5. bank — of a river
  6. bass — the fish
  7. clip — a video
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. fine — all right
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. bank — for money
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. clip — to cut
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. bank — for money
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. fine — high quality

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