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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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. clip — to cut
  3. key — in music
  4. key — for a lock
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. clip — for paper
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. key — the most important part
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. cue — a signal
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. clip — a video
  18. cue — for pool
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. cue — a hint
  21. branch — a division
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. arm — part of the body

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