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

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. rash — a series
  3. bound — certain
  4. drill — army training
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. drill — the tool
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. rash — hasty
  16. bound — obliged
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. drill — a practice
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. deal — to handle
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. bound — tied together
  24. mouse — the animal

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