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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. bound — obliged
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mine — for digging
  9. club — for dancing
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. club — for golf
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. content — the amount
  16. object — to protest
  17. object — an aim
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. bound — certain
  20. object — a thing
  21. content — happy
  22. bound — tied together
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. club — a group

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