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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: scale · chair · rash · bank · march · arm · bark · dip

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. rash — hasty
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. bank — for money
  7. rash — a series
  8. bank — for money
  9. scale — size or range
  10. march — music
  11. bank — of a river
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. chair — a leader
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. march — the month
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. scale — in music
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. dip — to sink
  22. bark — to shout
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. march — the month

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