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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: bass · can · arm · tube · foot · firm · bank · spell

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. can — a tin
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. bass — the fish
  5. firm — decided
  6. can — a tin
  7. spell — magic
  8. spell — a short time
  9. bank — of a river
  10. tube — a container
  11. bank — for money
  12. firm — steady
  13. spell — letters
  14. can — to be able to
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. bass — low music
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. bank — for money
  21. firm — a company
  22. foot — a measure
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. foot — the bottom

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