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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: file · bay · season · prune · dip · arm · chair · bank

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. bank — for money
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. file — a document
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. prune — to trim
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. bank — of a river
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. chair — a leader
  13. file — a line of people
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. season — of the year
  16. bank — for money
  17. prune — to trim
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. dip — to sink
  21. file — a tool
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. season — in sport

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