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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. rash — hasty
  4. fine — all right
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. bank — for money
  8. scale — size or range
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. row — to paddle
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. fine — high quality
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. key — the most important part
  16. row — a line
  17. key — in music
  18. scale — in music
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. key — for a lock
  21. rash — a series
  22. wax — to grow
  23. bank — for money
  24. arm — a part of something

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