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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. bass — low music
  3. fine — all right
  4. bank — for money
  5. lean — to bend
  6. bank — of a river
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. club — a group
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. club — for dancing
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. bank — for money
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. club — for golf
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. fine — high quality
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. lean — thin
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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