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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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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: fine · leaves · bound · tear · mine · staff · pitcher · arm

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. staff — employees
  6. bound — certain
  7. staff — a stick
  8. tear — to rip
  9. tear — from crying
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. fine — all right
  12. bound — tied together
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. bound — obliged
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. staff — employees
  19. fine — high quality
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. tear — from crying
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. mine — for digging

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