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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. firm — decided
  3. key — the most important part
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. rest — what's left
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. drill — a practice
  10. bank — for money
  11. bank — of a river
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. season — in sport
  14. drill — the tool
  15. firm — steady
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. firm — a company
  18. drill — army training
  19. key — for a lock
  20. bank — for money
  21. key — in music
  22. season — of the year
  23. rest — what's left
  24. branch — a division

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