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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 120 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'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. content — happy
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. key — for a lock
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. bound — obliged
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. perch — the fish
  17. stand — to bear
  18. bound — tied together
  19. bound — certain
  20. content — the amount
  21. key — in music
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. key — the most important part
  24. snap — to click

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