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

Word bank: bank · arm · scale · mate · toast · bat · leaves · cell

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. bank — for money
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. cell — in biology
  7. scale — size or range
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. mate — a partner
  10. bank — of a river
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. scale — in music
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. mate — a friend
  19. toast — bread
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. mate — to breed
  23. bank — for money
  24. cell — a phone

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