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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. bear — the animal
  3. court — of law
  4. cap — of ice
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. court — for sport
  7. branch — a division
  8. bank — for money
  9. bound — obliged
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. bear — the animal
  13. cap — a hat
  14. court — of a king
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. cap — a lid
  18. bound — certain
  19. bank — of a river
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. bank — for money
  23. bound — tied together
  24. calf — a young animal

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