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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. spell — a short time
  3. bank — for money
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. bank — for money
  6. spell — letters
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. bank — of a river
  9. kid — to tease
  10. rule — a law
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. kid — child
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. spell — magic
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. roll — a cake
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. scale — in music
  20. rule — government
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. roll — a list
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. scale — size or range

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